


Summerville

by Poppyseed29



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst, Awkwardness, Coming of Age, Cutesy, F/M, Family Drama, Fondling, Fourth of July, Hand Jobs, Horny Teenagers, Kissing, Making Out, Meet-Cute, Oral Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Summer Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-06-25 20:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 73,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19753546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poppyseed29/pseuds/Poppyseed29
Summary: When Central City becomes too dangerous for the West family, Joe and Francine decide to move their family to the sleepy Adirondack town of Summerville. Dejected, Iris finds herself trying to figure out her place this boring town. The only thing that keeps her going are the promises of her new friends Linda and Felicity that summer will be different. Will Iris adjust to her new life? And who is that pretty boy who works at the ice cream shop?Or, a fluffy WestAllen summer romance in a North American cottage setting.





	1. The Boy in the Ice Cream Shop

For three out of four seasons, Summerville was the sleepiest of little towns nestled in between rolling ancient mountains and freshwater lakes. It was the sort of place where the most exciting thing to have happened in recent memory was the addition of new park benches in the town square. This was precisely why Joe and Francine West decided to move their family there, even though their oldest child, Iris, was already halfway through high school.

Before moving to Summerville, Joe West worked as a detective for the Central City Police Department. Over time, Iris watched as the job wore her father down. Her sophomore year was particularly rough. After a bout of organized crime cases, their family started receiving mysterious threats. On top of that, there was the harrowing shooting of an innocent black boy and the botched trial that followed, despite her father’s best efforts to piece together the facts.

It was obvious that her parents were feeling less and less comfortable in Central City. It became a usual occurrence for Iris to overhear them talking and worrying late at night about the risks of Joe’s job and its effect on their family. Not to mention that her younger brother Wally would be starting high school in the fall and was already starting to fall in with the wrong crowd. 

So just before Iris’ junior year, (and before she or Wally could object) Joe and Francine sold their house in Central City, packed up the family and moved to Summerville. 

Iris was furious. Her parents hadn’t asked her or Wally how they felt about the move. Suddenly, it was just happening.

Her father received a transfer to the Summerville police department, and soon Iris found herself touring a grand old townhome at the end of Main Street with her parents and Wally. 

Their perfectly coiffed real-estate agent was pontificating on about the property’s history while Iris aimlessly meandered through the rooms. “It was built just before the Civil War,” the agent explained. “You can see the influence of Andrew Jackson Downing in the shape of the garden, of course, even though it wasn’t one of his designs. Local legend has it that the original owners used it as part of the Underground Railroad network.” 

This last point was supposed to impress them. Instead, it made Iris shudder. 

“Our dollar sure goes farther outside of the city,” Francine remarked to her family, trying to find a vein of positivity. Iris knew her mom sensed the confusion over the move, but her observation did little to assuage her children’s anxiety.

“Everything has recently been renovated,” the agent continued happily. “There’s a new furnace and the sellers are offering the appliances as chattel.”

Joe gave his wife an approving look. That would be one less thing to worry about when they moved in.

So that was how they ended up on the edge of town, facing the river between Lake Tranquil and Lake Albert, in a house the locals called “River Bend.”

It took Iris a long time to feel even remotely settled. The deciduous forest surrounding Summerville lent forced tranquility to the place. It absorbed the sounds of the highway outside of town and kept one from remembering there was a road leading back to Central City and civilization. Some people would call it secluded and peaceful. Iris called it isolated and suffocating. 

“Are you sure this is the right place for us, Dad?” She found herself asking as they unloaded boxes from the moving truck. 

“It’s supposed to be a nice community, Iris,” Joe rationalized. “I’d like you to give it a chance.”

All Iris could do was nod in agreement, and try her best to fit in at a school where everyone was clad from head to toe in Abercrombie and J. Crew.

She was immediately drawn to Linda Park. Linda’s parents owned a restaurant on Main Street, and Iris was quickly invited over to try out the “best and only dim sum in town”. Over dinner, Linda shared her family history story with Iris. 

Linda’s mother was Cantonese and her father was white. They met and fell in love while he was studying in New York City at Columbia. They eventually decided to move to Mr. Park’s hometown of Summerville when the city got too big and expensive for their tastes. They’d opened up a cozy restaurant and ran a thriving business. Then, Linda arrived into the world. 

Linda’s warm and endless energy was a magnet for a lost and lonely Iris throughout that bitterly cold first winter. Her openness encouraged Iris to share why her own family had moved to Summerville, and her anxieties about the change. 

“Just wait,” Linda told her. “It’s called Summerville for a reason. You’ll love it when it gets warmer.”

“Yeah, summer is going to be amazing,” Felicity piped in. By proxy to Linda, Iris also started hanging out with the pretty, if slightly geeky girl. She always seemed to have a knack for accidental double entendres. Though sometimes, Iris felt like Felicity was more interested in her computer than hanging out. Still, she was funny and nice and didn’t make Iris feel any more of a stranger than she already felt in this tiny Godforsaken town. 

As luck would have it, winter lingered and warm weather took its sweet time arriving. It probably didn’t help that Iris was basically counting down the days to the end of school. She couldn’t wait for her junior year to be over. The year had been as unremarkable as the town. Nothing exciting or anything of note transpired. Boredom threatened her sanity. She wondered if there was any truth to the summer hype. 

Finally, the calendar turned from May to June and the end of a dull school year drifted into sight. Just the thought made her heart a little lighter, and the days a little brighter. She even managed to smile and hum quietly to herself one evening as she joined her family at the table for dinner. 

“It’s nice to see you in a good mood,” her mother commented. 

“Yeah,” Iris smiled. “Well, school is almost done.”

“Speaking of which,” her father began as he reached for the salad bowl. “Your mother and I were thinking it might be a good idea for you to get a job this summer.”

Iris blinked. “Oh?”

“Yes baby,” her mother replied. “Lyla said they’re looking for people over at Jitter’s coffee shop. Maybe you could put your name in?”

Iris thought about it. It would be nice to have some pocket money, and a coffee shop sounded like an okay summer job.

“Does Wally have to work?” Iris asked, making sure fair was fair. 

“I already found a job,” her little brother rebuked. 

“What? Where?”

“At Harry’s Marina,” Wally replied. “He said if I helped clean the boats before the cottagers arrive, he’d teach me about the engines over the summer.”

She looked over at her father, searching for confirmation that her brother was telling the truth. Joe just shrugged at her. 

By the time end of year exams were nearing, Iris found herself in study hall with Linda and Felicity.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod,” Felicity stammered as she checked her phone.

“What is it?” Linda asked.

“The Queens are back,” Felicity announced, as if this was important news. 

“Really?” Linda questioned. “I thought for sure they wouldn’t be back for another couple of weeks.”

“They’re here now.”

“Who are the Queens?” Iris asked curiously. 

“Basically what it sounds like,” Linda explained. “Summerville royalty. They’ve been summering here for generations and own one of the original grand camps up on Lake Albert.”

“Oh my  _ God _ ,” Felicity exclaimed as she continued to look at her phone. “I didn’t think it was possible for him to get any hotter.”

Iris laughed at their friend. “Who is she talking about?”

Linda smiled and rolled her eyes. “She has it  _ bad _ for Oliver Queen, the son. Never mind that he’s in college and  _ way  _ too old for you,” she said, directing this last part at Felicity.

Felicity looked up from her phone just long enough to stick her tongue out at Linda. 

“How do you know they’re here anyway?” Linda asked, taking a sip from her water bottle.

“Because Oliver just posted a bunch of pictures on Instagram and then sent me a DM,” Felicity answered, turning her phone towards Linda.

“ _ What _ ,” Linda asked in disbelief, reaching across the table for the device. “Let me see that.”

Iris leaned over Linda’s shoulder to see the photos. A very handsome, very square-faced, very muscular college boy was standing at the end of a dock. The caption read: _Ready for another summer in_ _#Summerville_.

“I can’t believe he remembers you,” Linda mused. “What did he say?”

“U up?” Felicity jested, then laughed at her own joke, before wistfully declaring, “I wish.”

Both Iris and Linda looked up at her with raised eyebrows, awaiting the real answer.

“He just said he’s back in town and hopes to see me soon,” Felicity admitted with a shrug.

“Girl.” Linda declared, handing the phone back. “That’s huge.”

Felicity shrugged again. “Probably won’t see him until the fourth anyway.”

“Why not until the fourth?” Iris asked.

“The Queens have an annual Fourth of July party,” Felicity replied.

“Pretty much the whole town is invited,” Linda explained. “That’s where Felicity first talked to Oliver.”

“You met on the Fourth of July?” Iris cooed, “That’s adorable.”

Felicity laughed awkwardly. “No, we met like a million times before that. I work at the ice cream shop during the summer and served him countless waffle cones. He just never remembered me until I had too much vodka and orange juice at the party last year. It was unfortunately just the liquid courage I needed to talk to him.”

Iris laughed. “Well sounds like it worked out in the end.”

“Not exactly,” Linda interjected, as Iris watched Felicity’s face fall. “He’s got kind of a reputation. And they never went out or anything.”

“Oh.” Iris bit her tongue. “But he’s messaging you now... that seems like a good sign?” She tried to give an encouraging smile. 

Linda arched her brow quizzically at Felicity. 

“Maybe I should invite him out for some cream? Ice cream, I mean!” She exclaimed as Linda snorted into her water bottle. 

“Yeah,” Linda laughed. “You should do that.”

Felicity smiled to herself as her thumbs flew across her phone screen. She’d barely put her phone down before it buzzed and she picked it up again, a ginormous grin spread across her face. “He wrote back!”

Linda’s jaw dropped. “What? Already?”

“Yeah! He said:  _ How about Saturday _ ?”

“That’s great, Liss,” Iris encouraged. 

Felicity’s face turned perplexed. “Yeah... but I work on Saturday.”

Linda shook her head. “No, that’s perfect. What time do you get off?” 

“Six,” Felicity replied.

“Tell him to meet you at the end of your shift. It’ll be super casual.”

“Good idea.”

“Speaking of summer work,” Iris piped up, “I start my first shift at Jitters on Saturday.”

“Iris, that’s awesome. Lyla’s the coolest. You’ll love working for her. What time do you finish? Maybe we can spy on Felicity’s ice cream dream date?”

“5:30,” Iris replied. 

“Perfect,” Linda replied with a mischievous grin. “Hope you’re ready for a double date, Felicity.”

Iris’ first shift at Jitters was a disaster. She somehow managed to spill coffee all over a customer  _ and  _ scrape her thumb on the espresso machine. When 5:30 rolled around, Lyla gave her an encouraging, “Every shift gets easier,” pep talk and dismissed her for the evening.

Iris hung up her apron, gathered her things and headed down Main Street to meet Linda and Felicity. It was a good thing she was meeting them for ice cream. She really needed a double scoop of mint chocolate chip. 

The  _ Summerville Soda Shoppe _ was a house-turned ice cream parlor located on the stretch of Main Street that curved down towards the waterfront. It was closed throughout the winter, only opening for business at the end of May. During the cold months, the white-paneled siding with red trim seemed drab. Now, with the bright red umbrellas cheerfully decorating the front patio and the growing green of early summer surrounding it, the place looked like an oasis. 

Iris approached the front door and pulled open the antique screen door. She stepped across the threshold and wondered for a moment if she’d gone back in time. The interior was decorated in the style of a 1950s diner, complete with a Wurlitzer against one wall. All of the furniture featured chrome detailing, and the walls were covered in the largest collection of Coca-cola memorabilia Iris had ever seen.

It was a bit of a trip.

A large wrap around counter transitioned into illuminated glass-covered refrigerators with an extensive selection of ice cream. If Iris hadn’t known what she wanted, she would have been overwhelmed for choice. 

“Can I get you something?” A voice asked from behind the counter. 

Iris looked up from the fridge. 

Staring back at her were the prettiest green eyes she’d ever seen. They belonged to an even prettier face. Chestnut hair, alabaster skin with just a flush of pink, warm freckles, delicate bone structure, button nose. She registered all of these traits in the half second where his eyes were fixed intensely on hers. It felt like an eternity. 

“Miss?” He asked tentatively.  _ Miss _ . Like they really had gone back in time. 

“Oh, um,” she blinked fiercely and looked down at the fridges again, searching for her favorite flavor. Her eyes couldn’t seem to locate it. “Do you have any mint chocolate chip?”

He walked a little way down the counter to the next fridge. “Yeah, it’s over here.”

“I’ll have a scoop of that, please,” she said. 

“Cup or cone?” Pretty asked.

“Cone, please.”

“Sugar or waffle?”

“Waffle.” 

He smiled and pushed his sleeves up past his elbow as he grabbed a scoop and bent down into the fridge. She couldn’t help but notice the way the veins popped on his lean forearms as he dug into the vat of mint chocolate chip. 

He’d left such an impression on her that she forgot she’d wanted to order a double scoop. This didn’t seem to matter, as he was a heaping a generous serving into a waffle cone. She was amazed at how much he was able to fit onto it. 

Finished, he dropped the scoop into a bucket to be washed and reached over the glass to hand her the cone. 

“Thanks,” she said gratefully as she took it.

She followed him over to the cash, studying him slightly as he rang up her order. She didn’t recognize him from school. Maybe he was a cottager? Then again, it was still pretty early in the season. Maybe he was older and finished school already? Or maybe he was a high school dropout... 

She hoped he wasn’t. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason she found herself hoping he was good at school. 

“Two fifty, please,” he asked as he rang through her order.

Iris blinked. She’d bought ice cream before. A cone this big was never that cheap. “Are you sure?”

He grinned. A big wide grin. “You asked for the kiddie cone, right?” He said playfully, like they’d come to some sort of earlier agreement that Iris was forgetting.

Iris couldn’t help but return the smile as she handed over a five dollar bill. 

He went to hand her the change but she waved him away with her hand. “Keep it.”

He nodded, the smile never fading from his face. “Thanks.”

“ _ Iris! _ ” Exclaimed a familiar voice behind her. She turned to see Linda coming in through the front door. “Did I miss Felicity?”

“I don’t know,” Iris replied looking around. “I haven’t seen her yet.”

“She’s in the back,” Pretty said from behind the counter, having overheard them. “I can get her if you want?”

“Oh, would you?” Linda replied, batting her eyelashes. “That’d be great.”

Pretty nodded with a bashful smile and disappeared into the back room.

“We should try to be inconspicuous,” Linda suggested while they waited. She pulled Iris forward, out of the front door and onto the porch. Iris followed willingly, licking her ice cream cone as they went.

She sat with her back to the street, and peered in through the open window of the ice cream parlor. As she ate her ice cream, she took in the warm and idyllic scene before her. For the first time in a long time, she felt content. 

They waited patiently for Felicity to emerge, but by the time streaks of melted mint chip were trailing down Iris’ hands there was still no sign of their fair-haired friend. 

The steps leading up to the front porch creaked softly. Iris and Linda both turned their heads to see a very handsome, very square-jawed young man approach the front door of the ice cream parlor. Iris was struck by the impossible reality that Oliver Queen was even more attractive in person than he was in his Instagram pictures. She could definitely see why Felicity had a thing for him. 

He glanced sideways at them as he passed, giving a brief smile of recognition when he saw Linda. Iris’ cheeks warmed furiously as she mistakenly made eye contact with him just as she was drawing her tongue up the side of her mouth to catch a stray drop of ice cream. He blinked quickly and looked away, stepping inside the parlor with the singularly unique confidence only a billionaire’s son could have.

His more than punctual presence was a surprise to Felicity, who was finally emerging from the back room.

“Mr. Queen!” Felicity blurted out as she literally bumped into him in her rush to escape from behind the counter. “I mean, Oliver! I don’t know why I said Mr. It’s not like you’re my boss or anything…”

Oliver looked down at her as she rambled, a slight smirk of amusement curling at the edges of his mouth. “It’s nice to see you again Felicity,” he said calmly, reaching out to embrace her in a hug.

It took Felicity a beat too long to realize what was happening. When she did, her hands flew out enthusiastically, accidentally hitting Oliver in the face in the process. 

He reeled back, clutching his nose before laughing quietly. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Felicity stammered. “Here, I’ll get you some ice.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he assured her. “I’m all right. Shall we sit?”

She continued to fuss over him as they took a seat at the two-person table by the Wurlitzer.

Iris and Linda watched them silently through the window, entertained by the disaster that was their friend. Linda’s attention was intently fixed on Felicity and Oliver, but Iris found her eyes wandering. 

Customers were slowly filtering in and out of the  _ Soda Shoppe _ . As they came and went, Iris found herself watching Pretty, who was still working hard behind the counter. He seemed good with the customers, especially the kids. It was endearing.

“Hey,” Linda nudged her after a few minutes. “Look.”

Iris looked back to Felicity and Oliver. She was leaning across the table, staring dreamily into his eyes. He was looking back at her with what Iris imagined was his stoic version of affection. They looked like they might kiss. At least, until Oliver said, “So, are you going to introduce me to your friends?”

Felicity sat back and blinked. “Friends?”

Oliver turned his head towards Iris and Linda, and gave a short, two-fingered wave.

Caught, they could do nothing but wave back. 

Felicity gave a strained laugh. “Oh! My friends! Right.” She stood up from the table and led Oliver out onto the porch. “You remember Linda Park from last summer?” She said as she approached.

Oliver nodded. “Of course. Nice to see you again, Linda.”

Linda smiled knowingly. “Nice to see you, too,  _ Mr. Queen _ ,” she teased. 

Felicity laughed nervously. “And this is our new friend, Iris West. She moved here last September from Central City.”

Iris smiled as Oliver offered his hand. 

“Nice to meet you, Iris,” he said. 

Iris giggled and managed to say, “Hi.” 

He really did look like he should be playing a superhero on TV.

In her peripheral vision, she could see Linda rolling her eyes. 

“So... it’s your first summer here, Iris?” Oliver asked. 

“Yeah,” Iris replied. 

“You’ll love it,” he smiled. “You coming to our Fourth of July party?”

“Am I invited?” Iris asked, looking with uncertainty between Felicity and Linda.

“Of course,” Oliver replied. “The whole town is invited.”

Iris wondered briefly what it was like to be able to invite a whole town to a party. “I’ll ask my parents,” she smiled.

Oliver nodded. “Hope to see you then.” 

He took a set of car keys from his pocket and clicked the remote. Across the street, a parked Porsche Cayenne lit up. He turned back to Felicity. “Want a ride home?” 

Felicity looked at her friends as if seeking their approval. Out of Oliver’s peripheral vision, Linda was fervently nodding her head, mouthing, “Yassss gurl!”

Iris stifled a laugh. Felicity didn’t live far -- maybe two streets over. It was clearly a ploy to spend more time with her. 

“Uh,  _ yeah _ !” Felicity finally replied.

Oliver turned and put out his elbow, motioning for her to take it. 

She waved goodbye to her friends, and called, “See you on Monday,” as she hopped into the car. 

Iris and Linda waved back as Oliver peeled out of the parking spot and took off down the street. 

“Welp, that went well,” Linda concluded.

Iris sighed. “Yeah. She’s lucky.”

“Stupid lucky,” Linda replied. 

“You think he has a brother or a cousin or something?” Iris joked. 

“God, I hope so.”


	2. Fireworks

The last couple weeks of school dragged on, but Iris’ spirits were higher than they’d been since the move. Long sunny days lingered, giving Summerville residents a taste of warm weather to come.

The town had changed overnight. For one thing, it seemed like the population had grown exponentially. For another, the once barren trees and sparse front lawns were now lush with green leaves and flowers. 

With the arrival of summer, the West family took to eating dinner in the backyard. The Sunday before the last week of school, Iris helped her father at the barbeque while her mother set the table. 

“So,” Joe began, as he turned the ribs on the grill, “the Captain was telling me there’s usually a Fourth of July party at the Queen’s. Sounds like the whole town is invited.”

Iris’ ears perked up. She hadn’t mentioned the party to her parents. She’d assumed they wouldn’t be interested and wouldn’t let her go. Then again, if her father saw it as a work function, that was a whole different story.

“Is that right?” Francine replied, listening patiently. She skirted around the edges of the table, placing forks and knives at each seat.

“Mhmm,” confirmed Joe. “I was thinking... it might be a good way for us to meet some more of our neighbours. We’ve been so busy getting settled… we forgot to get to know people.”

Francine sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

“What is Dad right about?” Wally asked as he traipsed out of the house.

“Your father was suggesting we go to the Queen’s annual Fourth of July party.”

“Who are the Queens?” 

“Summerville royalty,” Iris replied, repeating Linda’s description.

“Royalty?”

“They’re rich,” Iris elaborated.

“How do you know the Queens?” Joe asked.

“Some friends from school are friends with their kids.”

“So, if your friends are there... that means you’d go, too?” Her father asked, seeing his window of opportunity to get the whole family on board. 

Iris shrugged nonchalantly, trying to play it cool. “Sure, why not? It sounds all right.”

Her parents exchanged a look. They were surprised she was being so agreeable.

“I dunno,” Wally chided. “Sounds kinda boring. A bunch of rich people on the Fourth of July? Can’t I just stay home?”

Joe shook his head as he removed the corn from the barbeque and placed it into a bowl that Iris was holding. “If the rest of us are going, then you’re coming, too.”

At five o’clock on the Fourth, the whole family piled into the car. They drove off down the two-lane country highway to Lake Albert. True to form, Wally moaned about their departure interrupting his game of Rocket League.

“Seriously, Wallace, you need to get out more,” Iris chirped. 

“You’re one to talk,” Wally rebuked. 

“Play nice, you two,” Joe instructed from the driver’s seat. 

Francine laughed quietly, indicating to her husband with a wave of her hand that they needed to take the next right. They turned down a gravel cottage road. Joe shifted into low gear as the car wheels spun on the loose surface. 

Under a canopy of trees, the golden light of the early summer evening took on a bluish hue. The road seemed to stretch and curve forever as they slowly ascended an almost indiscernible incline. 

“Where are we going?” Wally impatiently wondered aloud.

“Hush now,” Francine soothed. “We’re almost there.”

On either side of the road, long driveways branched off to dwellings unseen. Sometimes an alternate road branched off the main one, marked with a wooden signpost and covered in a million family names, pointing this way and that. 

Finally, at what must have been the end of the road, the trees cleared and an enormous, circular drive opened up before them. It wrapped around a tall cluster of trees in the center. To the right of the drive, a large lawn was covered in at least a hundred cars, all parked in neat rows.

“Seems like the whole town really _is_ here,” Francine commented, as Joe inched the car up onto the lawn and into an open space.

“Whoa,” Wally breathed as they came to a stop. His head was turned towards his window, looking back at the drive. 

Iris followed his gaze and immediately understood the reason for his verbalization. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought she was looking at a hotel. It could hardly be called a cottage. It was the biggest lodge she’d ever seen in her life. Its wrap-around porch, with intricate railings made of hand-twisted branches, looked like it belonged in _Lord of the Rings_. 

Beyond the lodge and down the lawn towards the lake, half of Summerville was milling around. Iris hopped out of the car and followed her family towards the party. She took it all in.

Under a white canopy decorated liberally with American flags, there was a barbeque station and several tables covered in every possible favorite summer food you could dream up. Children were greedily grabbing at popsicles and ice cream bars from coolers, while mothers and fathers lamented the forthcoming sugar rush.

Towards the lake, there was a big fire pit at the base of an enormous flag pole, where more families were roasting corn on untwisted wire hangers. A guy about Iris’ age with shoulder-length dark brown hair was helping some kids put cobs of corn on their hangers so that they could roast one, too. 

“I see someone I know from work,” Wally told them as he followed Iris’ eyes towards the fire. “See you guys later,” he announced as he took off down the slightly sloping lawn. 

“Hey!” Joe called after him unsuccessfully. “I thought this was a family event?”

Francine gently touched a comforting hand to his arm and gave him a knowing look. “He’s just at that age, hon.”

Joe sighed and looked at his daughter. “At least you’re not running off.”

“Iris!” The sound of her name immediately preceded being tackled by Linda’s bear hug. “Oh, hey Mrs. West., Mr. West,” she greeted as she released Iris from her grasp.

“ _Detective_ West,” Joe corrected. 

“Oh right,” Linda replied. “Detective West. Nice to see you again, sir.” 

Joe grunted. He’d said on multiple occasions that he thought Linda was trouble. Iris could see he hadn’t changed his mind.

“Would you mind if I stole your daughter away for a few minutes? I wanted to introduce her to some of my friends.”

“I don’t think--”

“That sounds lovely, Linda,” Francine interrupted her husband. “Go on, Iris.”

Iris smiled and said, “Thanks, Mom,” before pecking her father on the cheek and running after Linda who hardly hesitated before dragging Iris at full speed across the enormous lawn.

“Where are we going?” Iris laughed as she tried her best to keep up.

“To meet Oliver and Felicity,” Linda panted. 

They paused, out of breath as they reached the treeline. Iris could see another log cottage nestled in through the trees. “Whose cottage is that?” She asked, pointing.

“That’s the bunkie.”

“No,” Iris clarified. “I mean that one.”

Linda turned to her, stone-faced. “That’s the bunkie.”

Iris’ mouth dropped open a little. “Oh.”

On the front porch, Oliver and Felicity were sitting around a picnic table with a couple of older teenagers, some of whom were probably in college. 

“Look who I found,” Linda announced to the group as they walked up to the steps. 

“Iris!” Felicity exclaimed, perhaps a little too happily, as she swung her legs out from under the table and threw her arms around Iris. “You guys, Iris is the best. Iris meet… everyone.” She waved her hands at the small crowd. 

Oliver chuckled slightly. “Welcome, Iris,” he said as she and Linda sat down across from them. “It’s good to see you again. Glad you could make it.”

“Thanks Oliver,” Iris replied. 

“Can I get you something to drink?” Oliver asked. “Beer, cooler?”

It wasn’t until that moment that Iris realized why Felicity seemed extra happy. It wasn’t just because she was nestled beside her long-time crush. It was because she was a few drinks in.

“Oh… um… I better not,” she hesitated. “My dad’s here. He’s a cop.”

Oliver nodded. “Another time, then.”

“Yeah,” Iris smiled, relieved he didn’t judge her caution. “Another time.”

“Well, let me introduce you to everyone. This is my sister Thea, and her boyfriend Roy, my pseudo-big-brother and long-time partner in crime, Diggle. And here we have Caitlin Snow, she has a cottage just up the lake, and this is Eddie Thawne.”

Iris followed Oliver’s quick introductions, trying to commit everyone’s name to memory as she shook hands. Eddie held her hand for a little bit too long, flashed an award-winning smile and said, “Pleasure.” 

Iris wasn’t sure whether she was attracted or repulsed. He was very handsome, and part of her wondered if he was related to Oliver. They had a similar look. “Thawne?” She asked. “Like, Thawne’s Place?” 

Eddie grinned. “Yeah. My uncle is the owner.”

Thawne’s Place was the resort just up the river from town on Lake Tranquil. The family after which the resort was named was well-known around Summerville.

“Eddie teaches tennis!” Felicity announced to the table.

“Yeah, Iris,” Linda piped in with a bemused smirk. “Didn’t you say you wanted some lessons?”

Eddie’s eyes lit up a little. “Oh yeah?”

Iris chuckled nervously. “She’s just kidding.”

“Oh,” Eddie replied, taking a swig from his beer. “Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”

“Sure,” Iris smiled.

“Where’s Cisco and Allen?” Oliver asked, looking around.

Felicity looked over her shoulder back towards the lake. “Last I saw, they were getting the fire started for the corn roast.”

“Well, we’ll have to introduce you later, then,” Oliver suggested as he sat down again beside Felicity. 

“Yeah,” Felicity agreed. “You definitely have to meet them. Especially Barry Allen. He’s the nicest. He’s great to talk to. He likes science, I like science. Well, computer science. Anyway, he’s my favorite.”

Oliver was studying Felicity with interest as she rambled. The expression on his face revealed a slight worry for possible competition. 

“I mean --” Felicity course-corrected, “as a coworker is all. He’s my favorite coworker.”

“You work together?” Iris asked, hoping she seemed casual. She wondered if Felicity was talking about Pretty.

“Yeah! Wait… didn’t you guys meet the other day?”

“I don’t know,” Iris admitted truthfully.

“Yeah, you know the tall one with brown hair and the big green eyes?” Felicity put her index fingers and thumbs around her eyes, pretending to hold them open at this last part.

“Hmm…” Iris mumbled thoughtfully as her cheeks burned. “Maybe.”

“Sure you don’t want that drink?” Linda asked, picking up on Iris’ discomfort.

“Maybe I’ll have a little something,” Iris agreed. 

Linda nodded and stood up from the table. “I’ll fix it for you,” she said before going over to a small bar cabinet at the side of the porch. 

“Be careful,” Felicity said, pointing a finger and squinting her eyes at Linda. “She makes them strong.”

“Evidently,” Iris mused, smiling out of the corners of her mouth.

“Who me?” Linda asked wily, as she mixed some orange juice and vodka into a red solo cup. 

“Yes, you,” Felicity replied.

Linda shrugged and returned to the table before handing the cup to Iris. 

Iris looked down into the doctored juice and hesitantly took a sip. It mostly just tasted like orange juice. Except for the lingering burn on the way down her throat. Her eyes involuntarily squinted together as her face squished in surprise. “Wow, Felicity wasn’t kidding.”

“I never kid,” Felicity replied.

Iris settled into her surroundings, getting to know the group slowly, her tongue loosened by the effect of the vodka. Oliver was studying Commerce at Starling City University, hoping one day to take over his family’s business. Diggle was already finished school and planning to enlist in the Marines come fall. Caitlin had just finished her first year of pre-med. Eddie was going into Criminology next year at Keystone U. Thea and Roy, like Iris, were still in high school and trying to figure life out. Though they didn’t seem super concerned about the growing urgency to pick a life path. Iris wondered if that had anything to do with the distinctly prep-school vibe she was getting from both of them. 

Linda and Felicity seemed to be old friends with all of them. Iris admired how Oliver found Felicity’s quirks so amusing and seemingly adorable. On more than one occasion he complimented her brain. Iris wished she could find a guy who found her brain attractive. 

As darkness fell over the bunkie, Oliver checked his watch. “Should be almost time for fireworks. We don’t want to miss it. My mom spared no expense this year. Everybody leave your drinks here, we’ll come back.”

A few sounds of protest heckled Oliver’s request, but everyone eventually fell in line. Oliver took Felicity’s hand and led her and the group down to the water by the fire pit. 

The corn roast was finishing up, and Iris observed the same long-haired guy as earlier cleaning up some of the leftover tin foil. Helping him was Wally and to Iris’ surprise, Pretty.

By Pretty, she meant Barry. That was his name. She found it sort of unexpected. Iris thought for sure it was going to be Chip or Ken or something-the-third.

“Hey, Cisco! Allen!” Oliver called. “You guys know you don’t have to do that.”

“We’re good guests,” clapped back the long-haired one. 

“C’mere, I want to introduce you guys to our new friend.”

Cisco and Barry looked over curiously and heeded Oliver’s call. 

“This is Iris West,” Oliver introduced. “Iris, this is Cisco Ramon, our very own comic relief.”

“Hey Iris,” Cisco greeted, extending his hand with a humorous wink. “How _you_ doin’?”

Iris laughed. “I’m fine thanks. Nice to meet you... and you must be Barry,” she said, turning to Pretty, who looked surprised that she knew his name.

“Me? Oh yeah. That’s me,” he replied. She was surprised that he appeared flustered. “You, uh -- mint-chocolate chip,” he stuttered, pointing a finger at her.

Iris blinked. “Hmm?”

“You were in the _Soda Shoppe_ the other day. Mint-chocolate chip? Kiddie cone?”

“Oh,” Iris breathed. “Good memory. Though, I’m pretty sure you should have charged me for like, a quadruple scoop,” she teased.

“Yeah,” Barry smiled and blushed. “Well, you know. We like to make sure our customers get value for their money.”

“You never give me a quadruple scoop for the price of a kiddie cone,” Cisco piped in, clearly affronted.

“Sure, I have,” Barry defended himself. 

Oliver laughed. “Well, these two clowns are two of my oldest friends on the lake. We pretty much grew up together during our summers here.”

“Hey, watch who you’re calling a clown, Mr. Grumpy Cat,” Cisco chided. 

Oliver opened his mouth to defend himself but was interrupted by the sound of a whiz-bang, warning the party that the fireworks were about to begin. “Guess it’s almost time,” he said instead.

“Awesome!” Cisco announced as he clapped his hands together. “Imma go get a good seat!” He ran off towards the waterfront.

Barry watched him go over his shoulder but seemed reluctant to follow.

Iris searched for something to say. “I see you met my brother,” she said as Felicity, Oliver and the rest of the crew slowly followed in Cisco’s path.

“Oh, Wally?” Barry asked. “Just now. Cisco said they work together at the marina.”

Iris nodded. “Wally’s super into engines of all kinds, so I guess it makes sense that his first summer job would be on cars or boats.”

“That’s cool,” Barry commented. “Maybe he’ll be an engineer.”

“My mom and dad would like that,” Iris admitted. 

They hung back a little, following their friends slowly as a crowd gathered at the waterfront for the fireworks.

“He said you guys just moved here last fall?” Barry asked. 

“Yeah,” Iris replied. “From Central City.”

“No way,” Barry smiled. “That’s where me and Cisco are from. East side.”

Iris grinned. “That’s so funny. We lived on the West side. Guess that’s why I’ve never seen you.”

“Iris West from West side Central City,” Barry joked. 

“Yeah,” she laughed. “That’s me.”

“Has a nice ring to it.”

“I guess.”

“You miss it?”

“All the time.” She wasn’t sure why she was telling him this. It just felt natural. 

“Why’d you guys move?” He asked innocently.

“My dad’s a cop,” Iris explained. “He wanted a bit of a quieter beat, so he got transferred out here.”

Barry nodded thoughtfully. 

“What do your parents do?” Iris asked conversationally.

Barry shifted his weight on his feet and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Um, well my dad’s a doctor. Mom works in real estate.”

“That’s cool. And they can stay here with you for the summer?” 

“Mom does. Dad’s pretty specialized, so they need him in the city. He comes out on weekends when he can.” His voice turned a little sad. Iris was curious but didn’t press. 

Barry looked like he was going to ask her something more, but then the first few roman candles popped into the sky, followed by a steady stream of dahlias, waves, and peonies. Iris craned her neck back to watch.

She savored the sweetness of the summer night air, the spectacle in the sky and a moment of complete contentment. She’d never seen such a huge private fireworks display before.

“It’s beautiful,” she thought aloud.

“Yeah,” Barry agreed, looking over at her. “It is.”

Iris met his eyes. Something about the way he was looking at her was making her cheeks warm. She still thought he was just as pretty as the first time she’d seen him. But now she had a sense that there was a sweetness and perhaps an awkwardness about him that she hadn’t expected. It was endearing. 

She smiled and looked back up at the sky, which was bursting with spirals, willows and falling leaves. The show went on for a long time, building to a grand finale that had everyone oohing and ahhing. 

“That -- was incredible,” exclaimed Cisco as he returned from his prime viewing position.

“Thanks, man,” Oliver said.

“Best year yet,” Felicity agreed, standing up on tiptoe to peck Oliver on the cheek.

“Aren’t you glad you came?” Linda asked Iris quietly. 

“Yeah,” Iris replied genuinely. “I am.”

“Back to the bunkie then?” Oliver suggested to the group. Everyone murmured in agreement and started to follow him. 

Just then, Iris heard her name at a distance. She paused and turned, spotting her mother trying to flag her down. “We’re going to head home soon,” Francine called.

Iris rolled her eyes. Leave it to her family to pull the cord just when things were getting good. “Looks like I have to head out,” she said to Linda, Felicity, and Barry who’d hung back to see what was happening.

“Bye babe,” Linda said, giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Meet for coffee this week?”

“Yeah,” Iris agreed. “Or maybe ice cream?” Her eye caught Barry’s as she said it.

Felicity leaned an elbow on Barry’s shoulder. “We’d be delighted to serve you,” she jested.

“K. See you guys later! Nice to meet you, Barry.”

“You too, Iris,” he said, looking down at her with big green eyes.

She turned on a heel and headed for her family, feeling like the summer might turn out all right after all.


	3. The Walk Home

“I think I might lose my virginity this summer,” Felicity said thoughtfully. 

“To Oliver?” Linda asked.

“No, to Cisco Ramon. Yes, of course to Oliver.”

“Hey,” Linda protested. “Don’t knock Cisco Ramon. I wouldn’t kick those luscious locks out of bed.”

The two girls were sitting at a table in a deserted Jitters. It was evening and Iris was closing up. She frowned at the till realizing her numbers weren’t adding up correctly. She must have given someone the wrong change. She sighed. 

“You okay over there?” Linda asked, leaning back on her chair.

“Yeah, just bad at math.”

“Ooh, I can help,” Felicity declared. She scrambled to her feet, grabbed Iris’ calculator and started counting.

“Anyway, don’t you agree, Iris?” Linda asked.

“Hmm?”

“About Cisco.” 

“Oh. Well, he does have nice hair.”

“But you’re not interested?” 

“Not really my type, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Linda replied. “More Cisco for me.”

“What  _ is _ your type?” Felicity asked as she scribbled some numbers onto the paper.

Iris shrugged and didn’t answer. Felicity returned the calculator, showing her the float was just fine. 

“Eddie was checking you out last week,” Linda remarked. 

“Was he?” Iris asked. 

“You didn’t see?” Felicity replied. “He was being  _ super _ obvious.”

“I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“What about Caitlin?” Felicity asked.

Iris paused. “Oh, um, also not my type.”

“Okay, just wondering. We haven’t heard you express an interest in anyone  _ ever _ .”

“Does a person always have to be interested in someone?” Iris wondered aloud. 

“Well, no,” Felicity agreed, “But it sure is fun sometimes.” 

Iris laughed as she finished her paperwork. “You two are on the prowl enough for the three of us anyway. C’mon, I’m finished. Time to lock up.”

She escorted her friends from the coffee shop, pausing to lock the doors before following them up Main Street. A few shops down, they passed the ice cream parlor. Its outside lights were dimmed, but inside, Barry was sweeping the floor. He looked up, spotted them and waved. 

The girls waved back, then kept walking.

“Have you known him for a long time, Felicity?” Iris asked.

“Barry? Yeah, since we were kids. His mom’s side of the family has been coming to Summerville for generations, just like Oliver’s. She actually owns the  _ Soda Shoppe _ .”

“She does?” Iris asked. “I thought he said she worked in real estate?”

“She does. It’s an investment property. She hires out the management and all of that. She gave me my job. Thank God, because she pays well, and MIT is going to be expensive.”

“Oh,” Iris said thoughtfully, processing this new information.

“She’s here more than his dad,” Felicity rambled on. “He’s a high profile surgeon in Central City. I think his work keeps him pretty busy.”

Iris reflected on Barry mentioning his dad was a doctor and how he omitted the high profile surgeon part. 

“Anyway, why do you ask?”

Iris shrugged. “He seems nice is all.”

Linda and Felicity exchanged a look. 

“Yeah,” Felicity agreed. “He is.”

“Hey Felicity!” Called a familiar voice behind them. 

The girls turned to find none other than Barry Allen running up the street behind them. He was walking a bicycle with one hand while he clumsily untied his work apron with the other. He stumbled slightly as he shoved the apron in a panier basket and then rushed to catch up. 

“Speak of the devil,” Felicity muttered under her breath. “Hey, Barry!” 

Linda giggled as his discoordination, but Iris found it sweet. 

“Hey,” he said, breathless as he reached them. “I uh -- I just finished for the night. Hey Linda, hi Iris.”

“Hey,” Iris and Linda answered in tandem. 

“You guys walking this way?” He pointed down Main Street.

“I’m actually headed up Maple,” Felicity pointed to the next cross street.

“Me too,” Linda said regretfully.

“But Iris’ house is at the end of Main,” Felicity continued, pushing her friend forward with a gentle slap to the back.

Iris blushed and smiled. “Um, yeah. It is.”

Barry watched them like a deer in headlights. “Oh okay. Well, I’m headed back to the resort so, you want to walk together Iris?”

Iris cautiously looked at her friends. They were smiling encouragingly. “Okay,” she agreed.

“We’ll see you later?” Linda said to Iris. 

“Yeah for sure.”

“Have a good night you two,” Felicity hummed, as she and Linda peeled off down Maple Street. 

Iris wanted to slap the sly smiles off their faces. 

When she looked back at Barry he was gazing down at the apron stuffed in his bicycle’s rear basket. It was covered in spatters of every possible flavor of ice cream. “You’re not allergic to nuts are you?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

“The food or the human kind?” Iris asked with a smile.

Barry grinned back. “The food.”

“I’m not,” Iris confirmed as they continued walking up Main Street.

“That’s good,” he said in relief. 

They walked in silence for a short distance, unsure what to say to one another. Iris took a moment to appreciate the night air. It was a perfect evening: a bit humid, not too cold, not too hot. Crickets were beginning to chirp as the sun fell below the tree line, leaving a dusty purplish pink glow in the sky. The street lights were just starting to come on, basking the fragrant asphalt in an orange light.

“What resort are you going to?” Iris asked, when the silence became too much.

“Oh, um, Thawne’s Place. My mom and I are staying there for the summer.”

“How come?” Iris asked. “I thought Oliver said you were on Lake Albert, too?”

“We are. It’s kind of a long story. Lots of family politics.”

“I’ve got time,” Iris suggested. 

Barry smiled sideways at her as he steered his bicycle along the sidewalk. “Like, a decade?”

She laughed. “Try me.”

“Okay,” he said. “Well, it was my great grandparents’ cottage to start. And then the property got split up between my grandfather and his sister, so there’s like a couple cottages all in a row that belong to my extended family. But then our cottage was falling down so mom and dad decided to rebuild this summer… then all my cousins got mad because it was the original, which has been pretty awkward at family gatherings. But mom still loves it up here, and I’ve spent every summer here since I was a kid, so we still wanted to come even though the old cottage is being torn down and rebuilt. And she knew Eobard Thawne from way back, so he offered her a cabin for the summer on the resort. She figured that was a good idea because she could keep an eye on the new build and the  _ Soda Shoppe _ and everything. But my dad was kind of mad because he thinks Eobard has a thing for her, so things are kind of weird between them and well… that pretty much brings us up to date.”

Iris followed Barry’s story as best she could. “Wow,” she breathed.

“Yeah.”

“That’s a lot.”

He nodded. 

“You okay?” She felt like she had to ask. 

“Me? Oh yeah, I’m good. Just along for the ride, I suppose. Glad to be here, though. It always feels like coming home every summer.”

Iris smiled wistfully. “Wish I could say the same.”

“Guess it’s a pretty big change from the city if you’ve never been here before, huh?”

She nodded. “There wasn’t much discussion about it. Mom and Dad just announced we were moving and next thing I knew, we were here. I started junior year at Summerville high and didn’t know anyone. Thank God for Linda and Felicity.”

Barry watched her carefully as she spoke. “Sounds rough. But those girls are pretty great. Felicity and I go way back.”

“She told me,” Iris smiled.

“Did she? Thats nice.”

“She said your dad is a surgeon?”

Barry’s face hardened ever so slightly. “Orthopedic surgeon, yeah.”

“That sounds important.”

He shrugged. “Guess so.”

“You don’t seem super jazzed about it.”

He looked off into the distance as they crossed a small bridge. “He’s just always working. It’d be nice to see him more. Even if we were in the city for the summer, he would hardly be home. We might as well be here.”

Iris nodded. “Guess I should be grateful. When things got too hectic for my Dad he peaced out and decided to move us here. He kept saying he wanted a better quality of life for his family.”

“That sounds nice,” Barry mused. “Did it turn out that way?”

Iris thought about it. “I guess so. We’re in a bigger house, and he doesn’t have to work as much overtime. But it’s been a lot of change and it’s been hard. Wally and I probably could have handled it a bit better.”

“Hey, that’s okay,” Barry said, pausing for a moment and looking her in the eye. “I get it.”

Iris gave a half smile, feeling like this conversation had gotten pretty deep pretty fast. She wondered if she was telling him too much. Then again, he was confiding in her, too. 

“So what’s it like living at Thawne’s Place for the summer?” She asked as they continued walking.

Barry laughed. “It’s all right. There’s a pool.”

Iris scrunched her nose. “What do you need a pool for when you’re right on Lake Tranquil?” 

“That’s what I’d like to know. There’s like… lots of boats and stuff you can take out, too, which is pretty nice. Kayaks, canoes, wind sailing…”

“That sounds fun.”

“It is,” Barry agreed. “You should come over sometime. We could go out.”

Iris’ eyes widened a little at the suggestion. Was he asking her out on a date?

“I mean, not  _ out _ out. Just like... out...on the lake,” he corrected. “For a canoe ride? Or kayak. Whatever you like.”

She laughed. “That would be great.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.”

“Okay, cool.”

Iris stopped walking as they’d reached her house. Her parents were sitting on the swinging bench on the front porch, looking down at their daughter with curiosity about her companion. “This is me,” she said.

“Oh, right,” Barry said, looking up at the house and observing her parents. “So you guys bought  _ River Bend _ . My mom loves this house.”

Iris smiled. “Yeah it’s all right.”

“No seriously, she’s been gushing about it for years.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, she should come over sometime, then.”

Barry looked down at her and smiled. “Okay.”

“You could come, too, if you wanted.”

He blinked bashfully, and played with the gears on his handlebars. “That would be nice.”

They stood there, smiling awkwardly for a moment too long, and Iris knew the longer she stayed, the more questions she was going to have to answer from her parents. “I should…” she motioned over her shoulder towards the house.”

“Yeah of course,” he said, carelessly waving a hand, gesturing that she should go. “Me too.”

“Okay, well. Nice talking with you, Barry.”

“Yeah. You too, Iris.”

“Have a good night.”

“You too. I just said that. You have a good night… as well.” He stepped backwards, in preparation for departure.

She laughed and backed away from him, giving a small wave as she turned to follow the path up to the front porch. When she looked back, he was still standing there. Her gaze seemed to snap him out of it. He climbed onto his bike and pedalled off down the road towards Thawne’s Place. 

“How was work?” Her father asked as she climbed the steps of the porch.

“It was fine,” Iris said, pausing as she reached the landing.

“Who’s your friend?” Her mother enquired.

“Oh, that’s just Barry. He works at the ice cream shop in town.”

Her parents nodded thoughtfully. 

“He’s an old friend of Felicity’s,” she continued to explain.

“Nice that you’re making friends,” her mother commented.

“Yeah,” Iris smiled cautiously. “It is.”

“There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want some.”

“Thanks, Mom.” 

She took the opportunity head inside, thankful for the chance to avoid any further questioning.


	4. The Secret Hiding Place

“... And so that’s why I decided to join the Marines come Fall.”

“Is that right?”

It was the following week and Diggle was leaning over the counter at Jitters, chatting up Lyla, while Oliver ordered a coffee from Iris. 

“I think your friend is hitting on my boss,” Iris observed as the espresso for his americano dripped into a mug.

Oliver smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me. He’s liked her for a long time.”

“Kind of like how you and Felicity have liked each other for a long time?” 

His eyebrows constricted as if he wanted to pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. Iris held his gaze with a knowing look. He breathed deeply. “Perhaps.”

“You two are cute together, you know,” she said, adding some water to the mug. 

His mouth twitched into something like a smile and he nodded briefly.

“It’s nice that you appreciate her humor and intelligence,” she continued as she slid the mug across the counter. 

He took the coffee and motioned a small cheers before taking a sip. “Well, humor certainly isn’t my forte,” he admitted, “So, I suppose that’s why I find it so attractive in her.”

Iris smiled, wiping away a few drops of coffee on the counter with a cloth. “If only we could all be so lucky to have what you two have,” she remarked. 

Oliver smiled sympathetically. “If I didn’t know any better, Ms. West,” he mused, “I’d think you sounded a little lovelorn.”

She blushed. “Me? No. I’m not… lovelorn. I’m fine on my own.”

“Hmm. Well, maybe you just need to get out of the house. Digg and I were going to get everyone together for a game of manhunt tonight at my place, if you’re interested.”

“Manhunt?” Iris asked. “Like the game kids play?”

Oliver looked taken aback. “I will have you know that manhunt is a very serious strategy endeavor, enjoyed by people of all ages.”

She laughed. “Oh really?”

“Yes, really. So, what do you say?”

Iris thought about it. “I’d just need to ask my parents for a ride.”

Oliver shook his head. “No need. Just meet Cisco at the marina. He’ll boat you out.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yes, once I let him know.”

Iris smiled. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’d better get Diggle out of here,” he said, looking at his friend, who was now reaching a hand out to tuck Lyla’s hair behind her ear.

“Yeah,” Iris agreed. “That might be for the best.”

After work, Iris checked her phone and saw that she had a new text.

_ Yo what up Iris? It’s Cisco. I hear you’re meeting me at the marina tonight? _

_ Hey Cisco! Yeah, is that ok? _

_ Course. Barry, Felicity and Linda are gonna hitch a ride, too. So join the party! Also, your bro wants to know if he can come? _

Iris sighed. She shouldn’t be surprised that Wally wanted in, but she worried that her little brother might embarrass her. Then again, who was she to keep him from having his own fun? He’d been struggling to adjust, too and was having a hard time making friends. Maybe this was just what he needed. 

_ If my parents say it’s ok, I’m good with it, _ she typed.

_ K cool. Meet us here at 7:30? _

_ Yup. See you then. _

At 7:30, Iris walked over to Harry’s Marina. It was a large warehouse with navy paneling on the water by the main pier in town. Outside, a grumpy-looking, dark-haired man with glasses, the namesake of the business, was cleaning the parts of a disassembled motor. He looked up briefly as Iris approached, then back down at his work. “Can I help you?” He asked. 

“Oh, I was just looking for my brother, Wally… and Cisco?”

The man looked back up at her curiously. “You’re Wallace’s sister?”

“Yeah,” she answered hesitantly, wondering how this was going to go.

“He’s a bright kid.”

Iris smiled. “Sure, for a little brother... he’s pretty smart.”

“He needs to keep his eyes and hands away from my daughter,” Harry continued, shaking a wrench in the air.

Iris felt taken aback. She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t her brother’s keeper. “Okay. Well. I can try talking to him about it.”

“That would be for the best,” he replied. He went on cleaning the parts and applying oil to them, seemingly forgetting that Iris was there. 

She peered through the entrance to the boathouse, craning her neck to see if her brother was around. 

“They’re around back,” Harry finally said. “By the gas pumps.”

Relieved, Iris nodded and took off down the boardwalk to round the corner of the warehouse where boaters docked to fill their gas canisters. 

“Ahoy there!” Cisco called as he spotted her. “Pretty lady to starboard!”

“Ew man, that’s my sister.”

Cisco and Wally were crouched on the pier at the gas pumps, filling up a red canister. A modest-looking 45 horsepower was docked alongside. Iris guessed the boat belonged to Cisco. 

Seated in the bow, beyond the windshield, looking very comfortable with his sunglasses on and his arms outstretched on either side of him, was Barry.

“Hey you guys,” Iris said as she approached.

“Hey,” Cisco replied. “Where are your gal pals?”

“They’re coming,” Iris assured him. 

Barry got to his feet and made his way to the side of the boat, offering a hand to Iris and gesturing that she should climb aboard.

“Thanks,” she smiled as she took his hand, glad to be wearing shorts and sneakers, rather than the sundress she’d considered. 

“No problem,” he replied.

“Yeah, thanks for helping with  _ something _ ,” Cisco jeered.

“Hey man,” Barry replied, “Gas is a two-person job, I’d just be in your way.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Here take this.” Cisco secured the cap on the canister and passed it down to Barry. Iris watched as he set it in place and attached the gas line. 

The boat rocked gently under their movements, aided by the bobbing of the river waves. 

“Best seat is upfront,” Cisco suggested to Iris, pointing to where Barry had been lounging. 

“Thanks,” she said, taking his recommendation. 

He crouched at the rope knotted through the dock rings on the pier and motioned for Wally to get the other one. 

“Hey, is this our ride?” called Linda’s familiar voice from down the pier.

Cisco shielded his eyes from the setting sun to see whose voice it was. “Girl, I thought you’d never ask.”

Linda laughed as she and Felicity approached. “Hey Wally, Barry. Iris! We’re sitting upfront with you.”

They happily hopped over the side of the pier and into the boat unaided, taking the remaining two bow seats. Iris glanced over at Barry to see if he was disappointed that his seat was occupied. He gave no such indication and cheerfully took the front passenger seat. 

“Departure in T-minus thirty seconds,” Cisco declared as he untied the boat and motioned for Wally to get in ahead of him. 

Wally headed for the bench at the stern, shy around the older kids and interested in watching the motor. 

Cisco hopped on deck a moment later and dug through his pockets. He took out a key that was attached to a small floatation chain, then placed it in the ignition and turned. The engine sputtered for a moment before it revved to life. It made a putt-putting noise as he pushed off the pier with his hand. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced in a mock-airline host voice, “Please keep your hands and arms inside the boat at all times. Lifejackets are located under your seats.”

Iris realized she hadn’t been in a boat since they’d moved here. It was kind of exciting. Boating seemed to come so naturally to Cisco. He gracefully steered the helm, turning them around and out into the center waters of the river as easily as one might drive a car. 

Once the boat was pointed in the right direction, he paused for a moment and grabbed his hair in his hands, pulling a hair tie around it and making a little man bun. “All right,” he laughed, “Hold on  _ tight _ .” 

He shoved the throttle all the way forward.

The boat lurched up from the tip of the bow. Surprised, Iris made a strangled sound and instinctively clutched the side. Linda and Felicity giggled beside her, holding on, too. They reached cruising speed and the bow leveled out. Iris relaxed. She turned her face into the oncoming wind, savoring the way it rushed through her hair. She felt free as they raced up the river and into the mouth of Lake Albert. 

They skimmed over the rippling lake waves. The bow cut through the sun’s reflection on the top of the water, like a knife cutting through a million tiny diamonds. They bounced as they met another boat’s wake, throwing up a warm spray of water that showered them as it fell again. The girls shrieked playfully as Cisco purposefully turned into the oncoming waves to recreate the effect.

The sound of laughter behind them urged Iris to turn back towards the boys, her hair rushing up around her cheeks as she did. She threaded her hand up against her temple, urging her hair out her vision.

She couldn’t help but linger her gaze on Barry, who looked so at peace in the golden light. The wind rippled against his carefully coiffed hair and threatened to displace it. She couldn’t tell if he was returning her gaze, but he smiled ever so slightly beneath his Wayfarers. 

She grinned back, then turned again to face the setting sun.

A number of blissful minutes later, after they’d crossed half the lake and taken a turn into a large cove, Iris spotted the Queen estate on the shore up ahead. Its unmistakable boathouse, half castle, half-elven realm loomed majestically over the water’s edge. 

The light was quickly fading now, painting everything in a soft lavender-grey haze. Just like on the Fourth of July, Iris felt like she’d been transported into some other universe. 

Waiting for them on the shore was Oliver, Diggle, Caitlin and Eddie. Iris had to laugh. Oliver and Diggle were dressed head to toe in camouflage. Oliver even had black grease paint around his eyes. 

“Is he for real?” She asked Felicity.

Felicity nodded her head knowingly. “He takes most things seriously, especially this game.”

“But it is just a game… right?” Iris asked cautiously as she followed the others out of the boat.

They smiled but didn’t answer as she climbed up onto the dock after them. 

“Your friends are weird,” Wally said as the followed the others to the shore.

“You’re friends with Cisco, too,” she pointed out.

“He’s not wearing camo for a  _ game _ ,” Wally insisted. 

“You wanted to come.” 

For this, he had no response. Instead, he motioned over her shoulder to the others who were gathering around Oliver and Diggle by the firepit. 

“Okay team,” Oliver was saying. “Most of you know the rules, but for those who have recently joined our ranks let me reiterate.”

Iris took a place standing behind Linda to listen.

“Nice to see you again, Iris,” Eddie whispered lowly in her ear as he came up beside her.

She smiled pleasantly in reply. “Hi. You too.” 

“Dig and I will start out  _ It _ ,” Oliver began. “Everyone has 5 minutes to hide the best they can anywhere on the estate. The borders are the pump house to the North, the driveway in the East, the creek beyond the woods in the South and of course, the lake here in the West.

“Inside the bunkie and the main cottage are out of bounds. Everywhere else is fair game.

“Anyone who is discovered also becomes  _ it _ . The last person to be discovered wins the game and becomes  _ it  _ the next round. If after one hour, you’re not found, rendezvous back at this location for a default win. Got it?”

The group uttered sounds of agreement and nodded their heads. 

“All right,” Diggle said, raising his wrist to look at his watch. “On my mark. Get set.  _ Go! _ ”

Iris wasn’t prepared for the frenzy that ensued. Felicity grabbed her and Linda by the wrist and pulled them along furiously as she launched up the beach and across the open lawn of the Queen estate. She and Linda giggled, trying their best to keep up. 

Iris craned her neck as she ran. Wally had run off in the opposite direction towards the drive. Eddie and Caitlin had gone off along the shoreline. Barry and Cisco were on the same trajectory to the woods but were already yards ahead of them. 

They reached the treeline. It was significantly darker beneath the canopy and the terrain more difficult to navigate. Unable to continue holding onto her companions, Felicity released them and simply called behind her, “C’mon, keep up!”

Linda rushed on ahead, and Iris followed. 

She wondered how far the woods went before the creek. They’d already passed the bunkie a while back. 

In the time it took to ponder this though, Linda had disappeared from view over a large rocky hill up ahead. 

“Hey!” She called, “Wait up!”

She started to climb the steep granite surface, but her sneakers caught on a tree root and she tumbled backward into a soft pile of leaves. 

“Oh, for God’s sake,” she sighed to no one in particular. She picked herself up and dusted the leaves from her body. The light was almost gone and she could hardly see the top of the hill. She waited for a moment, hoping there would be some movement or a sign of Linda. 

Nothing.

The only sound was the light chirping of evening crickets and the distant guttural gulps of frogs. A mosquito hummed in high frequency near her ear. She swatted her neck instinctively and huffed a sigh. 

She remembered this element of the game from grade school: eventually it was every person for themselves. She’d find her own hiding place, then. Hesitantly, she traipsed back in the direction from which she came. 

The woods were very dark now. She considered taking her phone out of her pocket to use the flashlight, but knew that would give her away. She didn’t expect to win on her first round, but she definitely didn’t want to be the first found. 

“Psst, Iris!” Whispered an urgent voice, somewhere to her right. 

She nearly jumped out of her skin as the bushes in that general direction swayed threateningly. A soft, involuntary yelp escaped her lips. 

“Hey,” the voice continued it its hushed tone, “It’s okay, it’s just me… Barry.”

The moon caught the side of his familiar frame emerging from the bramble, and Iris sighed in relief.

“Oh, hi,” she replied, equally as soft.

“C’mere. Hurry.” 

She didn’t hesitate. Clearly, he’d found a good spot. She wasn’t going to question the invitation. He ducked his head back into the shrubs but held the branches open for her as she crouched and scooted in between. 

It was a thicket that had somehow grown in an almost perfect circle, enclosing a tree and a small cavity between the branches that was just big enough for two, maybe three people in the center. From the outside, you’d never have known there was any space among the branches. It was an excellent hiding place. 

Moonlight filtered through the leaves above their refuge with a silvery glow that made it possible to just make out each others’ faces. In front of her, Barry raised a finger to his lips.

She nodded and held still, her breath slowing as they waited quietly.

It soon became apparent why silence was necessary. She caught the sound of trudging footsteps echoing up the path. It grew louder as Oliver and Diggle approached, swinging their flashlights left and right as they searched for their targets.

Barry pulled Iris back into the hollow just slightly, careful not to disturb any of the branches around them. They waited anxiously until the gait of their pursuers disappeared up and over the hill ahead.

“They always go for the perimeter, first,” Barry whispered when he was sure the coast was clear. “Oliver might think he knows this property like the back of his hand, but he’s never actually found me here. I’ve won this game for five years in a row.”

Iris smiled at Barry’s obvious pride and enthusiasm.

“I lost track of Linda and Felicity,” she told him. 

“Better that you did,” he replied. “They’ll have gone all the way to the creek. That’ll be the first place Digg and Oliver look.”

“How do you know?”

“Patterns in behavior. You’ll see… they’ll be coming back this way in a few minutes. Felicity and Linda will have joined their ranks.” He said it as seriously as if the zombie apocalypse was on. 

They waited quietly, listening to the crickets and the rustling breeze through the trees. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Instead, Iris felt totally at ease hidden there in the bushes with Barry. It was sort of a ridiculous situation when she thought about it. Still, his company was soothing to her and she found she didn’t mind. 

A branch cracked loudly behind them. Iris jumped, twisting around to find the source of the noise. Time seemed to slow as she lurched. Unsteady from crouching on her feet, she wobbled as she turned. Ahead she could see four tell-tale lights, which surely belonged to their searching friends. 

Barry had been right. Oliver and Dig were on their way back with Felicity and Linda in tow. Her sudden movement had been a mistake. She was about to fall forward into the bramble and give away Barry’s secret hiding spot. 

Suddenly and silently, an arm reached around her and then another, catching her where she faltered. Barry was completely soundless in his movements, practiced in the art of manhunt from summers gone by. Her body stilled as he held her back against his chest. She made a slight noise, instinctively trying to thank him or perhaps tell him she was sorry for the error, but his hand slid up lightly over her mouth to muffle the sound. 

It wasn’t a threatening movement. Somehow it felt protective and deeply intimate. Her muscles eased into him. She placed a hand on his knee at her side to steady herself. His heart was pounding against her shoulder blades. Its rhythm synced well with hers as they watched their friends pass them and head back towards the bunkie.

A solid minute after all signs of the opposing team had disappeared, Barry relaxed, dropping his hands from her and resting back against the tree trunk that was enclosed within the thicket. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “Didn’t mean to manhandle you like that.”

Iris shook her head. “It’s okay,” she replied, making sure to keep her voice low. “I didn’t mean to almost give us away.”

The moonlight caught his cheek as he grinned. “I guess I get a little competitive about this game.”

“I see that,” she chuckled. “Something tells me you’re not the only one.”

She crossed her legs and sat in front of him. “I hope Wally’s okay.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Barry consoled her. “He seems nice.”

“Wally?” She asked in surprise.

“Yeah.”

She chuckled again. “I suppose he can be nice when he’s not being the annoying little brother.”

Barry smiled and looked bashfully down at his hands. “I always wanted a little brother.”

“Are you sure you know what you’d be getting yourself into?” She joked.

He shrugged. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”

Iris frowned. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he sounded lonely. “Well, you can share mine if you really want.”

He grinned up at her, then squinted a little. “I think you have a leaf in your hair,” he said, reaching out and pulling the offending foliage from her head.

“Oh,” she laughed bashfully. “I tripped earlier. My hair is probably a mess. First the boat ride… then a tumble in the woods.” She reached up to run her hands through it, pulling it back and securing it with the elastic she kept at her wrist. 

“It’s not a mess,” Barry assured her. “It looks nice.”

Iris looked up at him and smiled. “Thanks.”

They sat there in their tiny sanctuary, whispering about this and that for who knows how long. The conversation came easily, never lulling awkwardly. It simply flowed from one interesting fact to another. Iris learned that Barry wanted to become a CSI and that he loved science as well as the great mysteries of the universe. She shared her interest in journalism and writing with him, and her hope of one day owning her own news site. 

“If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?” They were on to more trivial preferences now.

She thought about it. “Brownies.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I could load them up with nuts and stuff for nutrition.”

He laughed. “Yeah, that works.”

“What would you pick?” She asked.

“Probably pizza.”

Iris laughed. “We’re going to be so healthy.”

“Yeah, super healthy,” Barry agreed with a smile. “Speaking of super, if you could have any superpower what would it be?”

“I’ve never really thought about it before.”

“Never?” 

She shook her head. “Have you?”

“I have a hard time deciding,” he said with a tone of serious reflection. “Although, I always seem to be runnin' late for things...so maybe super speed.”

“That would be good. Maybe I’d have weather control. I feel like that would be useful.”

“That would be pretty wild.”

“What time do you think it is?”

Barry fumbled around in his pocket for his phone. “Oh shit.”

“What is it?”

“It’s like ten o’clock.”

“What?” Iris scrambled to her feet, and rushed out of the bushes. “How did it get so late? Did we win?”

Barry emerged behind her laughing. “Probably. But our rendezvous was supposed to be an hour ago.”

“Do you think they forgot about us?” 

Barry shrugged and turned on his telephone flashlight, “Maybe. We should head back.”

Iris nodded in agreement and did the same. She followed Barry back up the path towards the lake. 

When they emerged from the treeline and onto the lawn, they could see Oliver and a few of the others huddled around a roaring bonfire by the shore. “Oh, Jesus Christ,” Oliver exclaimed when he saw them. “We were getting worried about you two. Diggle and Cisco went to find you.”

Barry laughed. “Hey man, it’s all good. We’re here now, and I think you know as well as I do that this means I am the reigning champ.”

“Yeah,” Eddie scoffed. “Reigning champ of getting lost.”

Wally snickered from his spot on a log by the fire.

Barry’s eyes narrowed.

“We weren’t lost,” Iris piped up, sensing the tension. “We just found a really good hiding spot.”

Oliver was studying them with interest. Across the firepit, she could see Linda and Felicity raise their eyebrows. 

“You told Iris your secret hiding spot?” Caitlin said in disbelief.

“Yeah Allen,” Eddie jeered. “We’ve been trying to get you to give that up for years.”

Iris noticed the tips of Barry’s ears turn pink. 

“He didn’t tell me,” she defended. “I just happened to stumble across him.”

Barry looked sideways at her, an expression of surprise on his face. “Yeah. Literally. I was there and then suddenly she was there, too…” he made a few awkward gestures with his hands to suggest that Iris had actually tripped over him.

She giggled. “Yeah, that’s how I got this scrape,” she added, pointing to the scratch on her leg from her tumble down the hill.

“Yeah,” Barry agreed.

Oliver was studying them skeptically. “Uh huh. Well, guess I better call Digg and tell him to call off the search party.”

“That’d be good.” Barry agreed. 

Iris sauntered around the firepit and took a seat with Felicity and Linda, who both stared at her for a minute until she said, “What?”

“Girl,” Linda said quietly. “You literally just fell head over heels for Barry Allen.”

“What?” Iris repeated, shifting awkwardly. “I did not.”

Felicity snorted. “Yeah, okay.”

Shortly after, Diggle and Cisco returned from woods and gave Barry a good natured ribbing. 

“So, what do you guys think,” Oliver proposed, “Up for another round? Barry and Iris are  _ it. _ ”

“I dunno man,” Cisco replied. “I told my parents I’d be home for 11 since I have to work tomorrow and I still gotta take these guys back into town.” He gestured to those he’d brought over in the boat.

“All right,” Oliver conceded. “I guess it is getting kind of late for a school night. But we _ will  _ have a rematch soon!”

Barry laughed. “Sounds good.”

“C’mon peeps,” Cisco called over his shoulder as he headed down to the dock. “Boaty McBoatface is leaving.”

Linda, Felicity and Iris followed with Wally down to the shore, while Barry trailed along behind. 

“See you guys later,” he called over his shoulder to the others. They waved and called their goodbyes, jovially promising Barry’s comeuppance would come soon.

Iris could hear the gentle thud of his footsteps on the dock behind them as he caught up. She was just about to lower herself down into the boat when she heard him say, “Hey Iris?”

“Yeah?” She replied, turning to face him.

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and rocked on the balls of his feet. “I uh -- After our walk home I kinda realized I couldn’t follow up on our plans.”

“Our plans?” Iris asked.

“Yeah,” he breathed. “You know… to go out for a canoe ride or something?”

“Oh!” She exclaimed with mirth. “Right. I forgot. Our plans.”

“Yeah. So, anyway, I realized I like… don’t have your number.”

Iris blinked bashfully. “Oh. Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

“Okay,” he breathed in relief, digging his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. She took it and typed her number in, naming herself  **Iris :)** . 

“As cute as this is right here,” Cisco chirped, waving his hand in a circle from the driver’s seat of the boat. “It would be better in the boat.”

Barry nodded as Iris handed his phone back. He was unable to wipe the smile off his face as he hopped onboard the boat. He turned and immediately extended his hand to Iris, who followed him down into the boat and took a seat behind him on the passenger side.

Wally was perched on the starboard bench, watching her with a sly smirk on his face. Iris looked away purposefully. She didn’t want to make a big deal of it. Barry just wanted to hang out. That’s what friends do.

Cisco turned on the boat’s lights and headed back for the Marina. Given that it was night time, the trip took longer. Iris found herself wishing the boat ride would never end, but she knew that it had to.

Eventually, they pulled up to the town pier. Cisco grabbed the side just long enough to let everyone off. He said his goodbyes and then headed off back to his cottage. 

“My bike’s parked just over here,” Barry said as they rounded the front of the Marina. “I’ll catch you guys later?”

The girls and Wally nodded. 

“Thanks for sharing your refuge with me,” Iris said quietly before he stepped away.

“Anytime,” he replied. “I’ll text you.”

Iris nodded and watched as he went to unlock his bike before taking off down Main Street. She said her goodnights to Linda and Felicity, then she and Wally headed home.

“Dad’s not going to be happy,” Wally mused as they walked. 

“Why?” Iris asked as they sauntered along.

“About your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Iris replied.

“Mhmm.” Wally murmured. “We’ll see.”


	5. The Canoe Ride

“Mom?”

“Yes hon?”

They were seated around the dinner table inside on a rainy Sunday evening. “Can I go to Barry’s on Tuesday?”

“Who’s Barry?” Her father asked.

“Yeah, Iris, who is Barry?” Wally eyed her mischievously from across the table. 

“He’s just a friend from town,” Iris replied. 

Her parents looked at her curiously.

“Don’t you remember?” She asked. “You saw him that one time?”

“Oh,” Francine said thoughtfully. “Yes, I remember. Well, ask your father.”

Iris swallowed and turned to her dad. “Can I go?”

He took a bite of his chicken, then took his time to chew and swallow. “What are your and Barry’s plans?”

Iris bit her lip. “Well, it’s supposed to be nice on Tuesday… and he and his mom are staying at Thawne’s Place for the summer. They have all sorts of canoes and kayaks there, so... we were thinking of going out on the lake.”

“You’ve never canoed or kayaked before,” her father commented.

“No, but Barry said he could show me how. He said it’s not that hard.”

Joe nodded and continued to eat his meal without saying anything.

“It’s not a date,” Iris said to the whole table. “We’re just friends.”

“Would your mother and I like this Barry kid?” Joe asked. 

“I think so. He’s very sweet.” 

“Sweet, huh?”

“You know… like… kind.”

Francine exchanged a look with her husband, encouraging him not to interrogate their daughter too much.

“All right,” he said, stabbing some broccoli with his fork. “But home before dinner.”

“Thanks Dad.”

On Tuesday morning, Francine agreed to drive Iris over to Thawne’s Place on Lake Tranquil. They pulled up around ten o’clock to the main inn, which looked a lot like an oversized cottage. It had navy siding on the top floor and white siding on the ground floor. Its exterior was complimented by a massive wraparound porch and decorated with old timey string lights. Iris was sure it would look beautiful in the evening.

The grounds were impeccably lush and green. Scattered here and there among the lightly wooded acreage were tiny cabins with equally tiny front porches. Towards the lake she spotted a giant gazebo, a pool, some tennis courts and what looked like the resort’s very own marina. Iris half wondered if she’d slipped into _Dirty Dancing_.

Francine dropped her daughter at the entrance to the main inn. “Thanks Mom,” Iris said hurriedly before slamming the door shut and heading into the lobby. 

As agreed, Barry was waiting there for her. He was seated on a couch in the reception area, looking at his phone, dressed in his swim trunks and a white t-shirt. Iris smiled at the cute frown on his face until he saw her approach and his mouth broke into a wide grin. “Hey, you made it.”

“I did,” she smiled back. “And I brought everything you told me to. I got my swimsuit and flip flops on, and I’ve got my towel, a water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray all in here.” She slung her backpack from her shoulder and patted its contents.

“Yeah, that last one is key,” he remarked. “The horseflies are crazy this year. So, are you ready?” 

“I’m ready,” Iris replied with a smile.

“K, let’s go!”

They headed through the lobby out to the porch on the other side of inn, facing the lake. Iris followed him down the steps of the deck, past the pool and tennis courts, all the way to the beach. The sand was warm and shifted beneath her toes as they approached several rows of canoes and kayaks all layered on top of one another on great wooden racks.

“What are you thinking?” Barry asked. “Canoe or kayak?”

Iris looked at the kayaks. They didn’t all have skirts, but she was still afraid of flipping over and not being able to get right side up again. “Maybe a canoe to start?” 

“Good choice,” Barry agreed. “Let me show you my favourite.” He took a few steps over to the next row, and motioned to a bright red canoe with tiny gold letters on the side. _Red Racer_ , it was called.

“It’s beautiful,” Iris remarked, observing the honey colored wooden interior.

“Yeah,” he said. “But first we need paddles and life jackets.”

He took her over to the paddle rack and showed her how to pick one out that was the right size. Then he grabbed one for himself, and led her to a little shed. The interior was covered in life jackets that were hooked to the wall.

“How about this one?” He said, handing her one that looked like it was her size. “You want the ones without too much bulk around the arms, so your shoulders can move,” he explained.

Iris tried it on, buckling the front clasp. “Yep, it’s good.”

“Cool.” He grabbed one for himself and they headed back to the canoe. “Let’s leave our stuff here for a sec. You grab that side,” he instructed, taking the tip of the stern in his hand. 

Iris slipped her hand under the tip of the bow and grasped the edges.

“We’ll flip on three,” he said. “One, two…”

As he called _three_ the boat slid up off the rack and turned over in their hands. Iris adjusted her grip. It was lighter than she expected it to be, but still awkward to hold.

“We’ll head over to that little dock over there,” Barry said, pointing to a small jetty that was just the right size for launching a canoe. “You should go first.”

Iris led the way over to the dock. They set the canoe down in the water, while Barry grabbed a rope from one end and looped it a few times through the rings on the dock. Then they headed back up the shore to grab Iris’ backpack as well as their paddles and lifejackets. 

Iris put her backpack and flip flops in the canoe, then sat on the side the dock

“I’m just thinking,” Barry said aloud, “Do you want to try some strokes first?”

“Some... what?”

“You know, like a J stroke or a draw stroke?”

She gave him a puzzled look. 

“Yeah, we should definitely try. C’mere.” He beckoned her to stand with him in the shallow water.

He showed her how to hold the paddle with one hand on top of the grip and the other just above the throat for a firm stroke through the water. “You wanna get these little whirlpools going,” he said, pointing to two that had sprung forth from his stroke.

“Like this?”

“Yeah. There you go, you got it. You’re a natural. I’ll steer us from the stern, but it’s still good to know the J stroke.” He showed her how to pull and twist the handle in the shape of a J to course correct. 

“Awesome,” he told her. “You’re doing great. So, what do you think, you want to give it a shot?”

“Yeah,” she beamed. “Let’s go.”

They climbed up out of the shallows and onto the little dock. Barry got into the stern seat first to give the canoe some weight.

Next, Iris climbed into the bow seat, carefully placing her feet as she stepped, trying not to lose her balance or tip the canoe.

Behind her, Barry untied the rope, then pushed off of the dock with his hand. “Anchors aweigh,” he said cheerfully.

Iris giggled. “Both you and Cisco do that.”

“Do what?” He asked as they started their paddle out of the bay. 

“Talk like a sailor when you’re around boats.” She couldn’t see his face, but she imagined him smiling bashfully.

“Probably because we spent much of our childhood pretending to be pirates on these lakes,” he answered.

“Sounds fun,” Iris laughed.

“Oh, it was. Buried treasure, duels, canoe battles with invisible cannons. And if Oliver’s selection of super soakers were involved, things went to a whole new level.”

“I’m sure.”

It wasn’t until they’d paddled across half the width of the lake that it occurred to Iris why they called it Lake Tranquil. There weren’t any cottages on this side of the lake. 

“Is this park land?” Iris asked.

“Yeah,” Barry confirmed. “Part of the state park that extends westward. It’s kind of a nice change from being on Lake Albert. It’s all monster lake homes and speed boats over there. It’s kind of nice to slow down a little.”

Iris nodded as she paddled. She was trying to focus on making the little whirlpools, just the way Barry had shown her. “Has your dad ever spent more time with you guys in Summerville? Or has it mostly been a you and your mom thing?”

“When I was younger he came up more. He was still a fellow and I think work wasn’t as busy.”

“Do you miss him?” Iris asked.

There was silence from behind her. She turned her cheek a little, but didn’t look.

“I guess,” Barry said after a while. “He’s kinda… set in his ways sometimes.” 

“What kind of ways?” Iris asked. 

“I think he’s disappointed I’m not considering a career in medicine.” 

Iris laughed humorlessly. “Funny, when I was twelve, I told my dad I wanted to be a cop. He did everything he could to change my mind.”

“Do you still want to be one?”

Iris shrugged. “Not really. Journalism seems more interesting to me now. It would be cool to travel the world while I work, seek out the truth, shed light on stories that need to be shared.”

“Iris West, intrepid reporter.”

She smiled. “Yeah.”

“I can see it.”

“I think my dad thinks being a CSI is like… beneath his son or something.”

“What does your mom think?”

“She just wants me to be happy.”

Iris nodded. 

“...Find a nice girl to settle down with,” he continued, “Have a couple of kids, you know. The things parents want.”

“Already? My parents won’t even let me date and I’m going into senior year. I’m pretty sure if I even mentioned going on a date my dad would run a background check on the guy.”

Barry laughed. “Well maybe not right away, but the implication is there for _eventually_.”

“Sounds like there’s a lot of expectations.”

“You could say that.”

“What do you want?” Iris asked. Somehow this whole conversation was easier when she didn’t have to look right at him.

He took another moment. “Like… in a girl?”

“Or a guy,” Iris prefaced.

“Not a guy,” Barry clarified. 

“Okay then a girl.”

“Someone I can talk to,” he said.

Butterflies erupted in Iris’ chest. She did her best to stay cool and kept paddling.

“What about you?” he asked tentatively.

“Pretty much the same,” she answered. 

There was silence behind her for a little while as they paddled on. The sun went behind a cloud, casting a cool shadow over them as the inched into a small bay on the far side of the lake.

“Yell if you see any rocks ahead,” Barry said. “It gets kind of shallow.”

“Will do,” Iris replied.

Up ahead, she spotted movement. She looked closer. Just along the shore, there was a deer, taking a drink among the reeds. “Barry!” she whispered. “Look, there’s a deer!”

He brought the canoe around sideways. “Oh yeah,” he said softly. “There she is.”

“She’s beautiful.”

Just then, the tree branches along the shore quaked. Out of them, emerged a proud looking buck with enormous antlers. 

“Holy,” Barry breathed.

“Wow,” Iris whispered.

They kept still, watching for as long as the buck and doe quenched their thirst. Iris marveled at the sight. She’d never seen a deer in the wild before, let alone two of them. They were magical. 

The wind shifted, and the buck lifted his head, catching an unfamiliar scent on the air. 

“I think he sees us,” Barry said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Iris agreed.

Moments later, the buck turned on his hind legs and galloped back into the forest, the doe following shortly after. 

“That was so cool,” Iris said.

Barry laughed. “Yeah, it was.”

“Did you see his antlers? They were huge.”

“They were big, for sure.”

He steered the canoe around and out of the little bay. 

“What do you think,” he asked, “should we head back?”

“Might be a good idea.”

“I’m definitely getting sunburned.”

Iris laughed. “Yeah, you probably are.”

“I’ll look good when it turns into a tan, though,” he joked.

“Don’t forget to tell yourself that when you’re lobster red.”

“I won’t.”

They paddled back the way they came, working a little harder against the wind. When they were finally back in the resort’s bay and a little ways out from shore, Iris took in a deep breath. She rested her paddle in her lap. “Definitely going to feel it in my arms tomorrow.”

“Good,” Barry said. “That means you were paddling correctly.”

“I had a good teacher,” she teased, turning her body so she could see him.

He grinned a thousand watt grin at her.

The moment was interrupted by a horsefly buzzing around her head. It landed quickly and viciously nipped at her temple. “Ow,” she cried, slapping the source of the sting.

“Oh no, those things are the worst,” Barry commented.

It flew away for half a second before dive bombing her again. “Argh,” she cried as it tried to bite her a second time. She waved her hands frantically, unaware that the canoe was rocking beneath them.

“Wait, Iris -- ” Barry cautioned. He carefully stepped forward out of his seat. “Let me help you.”

But her waving arms were already too unsteady, and Barry’s intended chivalry had the unintended consequence of lurching the canoe. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were both tumbling over the side.

When Iris surfaced, laughter was the only thing that could come out of her mouth. Barry emerged a second later, shaking his head and spitting water from his mouth before uttering an obvious, “Oops.”

Iris unbuckled her life jacket and dived down into the water after her backpack and flip-flops, which were sinking to the bottom. With a flutter kick she reached them, grabbed her belongings and heaved upwards. 

“You get them?” Barry asked as she resurfaced. 

“Yeah.”

He managed to right the canoe and throw their paddles and life jackets inside. “Here,” he said, grabbing her bag and tossing it over the side. She did the same with her sandals.

“So much for a dry towel,” Iris chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ve got some in the cabin. We might as well swim in, since we’re so close.”

She nodded then started swimming to shore. Behind her, Barry grabbed the rope and led the canoe after him as he swam up to the beach. 

Iris’ jean shorts stuck to her skin uncomfortably as she emerged from the water. Tiny rivers of lake water rushed down off of her clothes. She thought about taking them off, given she was wearing her swimsuit underneath, but suddenly felt shy. She turned back to the lake, just as Barry was walking out of the water, trailing the canoe. His white t-shirt was now translucent and similarly dripping. Blood rushed to Iris’ cheeks as she watched him heave the boat ashore. He might have been lean, but he certainly wasn’t without definition. 

The canoe wedged securely in the sand, Barry didn’t hesitate to remove his wet t-shirt and throw it in the boat. Iris was distracted by the constellations of freckles across his back. 

“Wanna grab that end?” He suggested, going to grab the stern.

“Oh -- yeah, of course,” Iris replied, snapping out of her daze.

After they’d put everything away, Iris grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. 

“Come on,” Barry suggested, walking up the beach. “I’ll introduce you to my mom.”

She followed him across the lawn of the resort to one of the cabins, which was shaded by a couple of big trees. As they approached the front porch, Iris spotted a pretty, auburn-haired woman sitting with her feet up. She was wearing big sunglasses and a wide-brimmed sun hat. She smiled as they approached.

“Hey mom,” Barry greeted her.

“Hi Bear,” she replied, raising her sunglasses to the top of her head. “I see you took a tumble out there?”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “Um, this is my friend, Iris.”

“Hi Iris,” Barry’s mom said, extending her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too, Mrs. Allen.” Iris replied as she shook.

“Oh please, call me Nora.”

“Okay,” Iris said. “Nora.”

“Let me grab you some fresh towels,” Nora suggested, getting up from her chair and going into the cabin through the front screen door. She returned a moment later with two large beach towels and a neatly folded turquoise garment. “I thought you might need a change,” Nora smiled as she handed the clothing to Iris. “Sorry, it's probably a little too big.”

“Oh, that’s so kind, thank you,” Iris replied, taking the towel and what appeared to be a t-shirt dress. 

“The washroom is just inside to your right,” said Nora, pointing into the cabin.

Iris nodded her thanks and quickly headed inside, trying not to drip onto the hardwood floors. 

The cabin was quaint and rusticly furnished. It had one main room with a kitchen, a small round table and a seating area. Beyond that, were two doors that Iris guessed led to the bedrooms. She quickly spotted the washroom and headed straight for it, closing the door softly behind her. 

It was a relief to shrug out of her wet clothes. She left her bathing suit on as she slipped the t-shirt dress overhead. The dry fabric was warm against her skin. It fit pretty well, and she liked the turquoise colour. 

She took a moment to fix her hair, which was curling in the summer heat as it dried. She braided it, then threw it over her shoulder before reemerging into the living room. 

Barry had already changed and was back out on the porch with his mom. She followed them outside. 

“I was just going to hang my things up,” Barry said, motioning with his wet clothes in his hands. “Do you want me to take yours?”

“Oh, yeah sure. That’d be great.” She handed over her shorts and t-shirt, then grabbed her wet towel from her back pack.

He took them with a smile, then hopped down the steps over to a laundry line strung between two trees beside the cabin.

“I just made some fresh lemonade,” Nora said to Iris. “Would you like some?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

“Make yourself at home,” Nora said as she disappeared back into the cabin.

Iris took a seat in an angled wooden chair on the porch. It had big arms on either side and a comfortable footrest in front of it. She’d seen these chairs everywhere since they’d moved to Summerville. Word was they’d originated here.

“You look comfy,” Barry said, when he returned.

“I am,” she smiled, rolling her head to the side to watch him take a seat in the chair beside her. “Think I might stay.”

“That’s fine by me,” he smiled, “But we’d have to talk it over with the management.” He motioned over his shoulder as if to point to his mom inside.

“She’s lovely,” Iris said.

“Yeah, she’s pretty great.”

“And this place is… so chill.”

Barry nodded, turning his eyes back out to the water.

The screen door swung open and Nora reemerged, carrying a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses on a tray. “Thought you might both be thirsty after your paddle,” she said as she set it down on the little table between them.

“Thanks Mom,” Barry said, taking a glass and filling one for Iris before he took one for himself. 

“I was going to make some lunch soon, are you hungry?”

“Yeah,” Barry answered without hesitation. 

“A little,” Iris said softly.

“Sandwiches okay?” Nora asked.

“Sounds great,” Barry agreed.

Iris nodded.

Nora smiled then disappeared back into the cabin.

Iris stared out at the water, watching a few kids run up and down the beach, screaming and laughing as they rushed into the water and then back out again. “It’s getting harder to resent this town,” Iris said aloud.

Barry looked over at her and smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

“I guess Linda and Felicity were right.”

“About what?”

“That summer would be different.”

He nodded. “That’s all I’ve ever known here. We never come down in the wintertime.”

Hearing this made something drop in Iris’ stomach. “Never?”

He shook his head. 

“How come?”

“Our place wasn’t winterized. Maybe that’ll change with the new one. Won’t be done for a while yet.”

“That’s too bad,” Iris said, somewhat sadly.

“You gonna miss me?” Barry smirked playfully. 

Iris slapped his arm. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“I don’t have any,” he suggested. “Not a single idea in this head.” He knocked his knuckles on his skull.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Iris joked.

They chatted aimlessly and easily. At times, Iris felt that Barry was flirting with her, but it was hard to be sure. They’d never said it was a date, but in moments where their eyes lingered or a laugh was accompanied with a blush, she felt like it could easily have been one.

The early afternoon sun was beating down on the lawn ahead of them, and Iris was thankful for the shade of the porch. Nora kindly supplied them with sandwiches and crudités, as promised. They munched happily, hungry after their morning canoe and accidental swim. 

When they were finished, Iris rested her head back against the wood of her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. The warm summer breeze danced across her skin, giving her goosebumps.

“Don’t tell me you’re sleepy,” Barry teased.

“I might be,” she smiled without opening her eyes.

“Well. There’s hammocks around back if you want.”

“Yeah?” she asked, popping open one eye.

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Barry grinned then jumped up, hopping down the front steps. She followed him around to the back of the cabin, where several red fabric hammocks were strung between trees. They picked two that were strung parallel to one another. 

“This is so comfy,” Iris laughed with a giggle as she got settled, watching the leaves in the tree above her as she swung back and forth. The fabric wrapped up around her, snuggling her in a cozy cocoon. 

“Yeah, I love this spot.” He swung his hammock purposefully, almost hip chucking her as he neared.

“Hey, watch out, I’m napping here,” Iris laughed, reaching an arm out to playfully bop him on the side. He giggled and caught her forearm, pulling her with him. They laughed as they swung until Iris’ sides hurt and she couldn’t giggle anymore. 

She rested back into the hammock, closing her eyes again as her grip on Barry’s forearm relaxed. He fell quiet in his hammock, his hand trailing down to her palm. She let him thread his fingers around hers, under the guise of swinging her gently back and forth.

Golden light danced against the back of her eyelids as they swung gently in the shade. She listened to the distant sound of children playing and a constant pop and shuffle from the tennis courts. At some point, it all faded away and she slipped into another realm. 

She was with Barry still, but they weren’t at the resort. In fact she wasn’t sure where she was. But he was in close proximity, and she realized that she might like to kiss him. He seemed agreeable, so she tested the waters, kissing him gently at first, but then really sinking into him. Her whole body filled with warmth as they kissed. She inched closer to him, pressing her chest against his as he held her in his arms.

“Iris?” He said.

“Mmm,” she responded.

“Iris.”

She woke with a start. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she opened her eyes. The sunlit glen had taken on a bluish hue. She sat up, a little disoriented. Barry was looking over at her from his hammock.

“You were out for a while,” he said.

She rubbed her eyes. “Was I?”

“Yeah.”

She laughed. “Well they don’t call me the life of the party for nothing,” she joked.

He shrugged. “We had a big morning.”

“We did, didn’t we?”

He nodded.

“What time is it?”

“4:15.”

“My dad’s going to be here to pick me up soon,” she said, unable to hide the sadness in her voice.

“Okay, let’s head in.”

They climbed out of the hammocks and walked around to the front of the cabin. Iris took her clothes from the line. Thanks to the summer sun, they were dry. She packed them in her still damp backpack, then slung it over her shoulder. 

Nora wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“Will you tell your mom I said thanks?” Iris said. 

“Of course,” Barry smiled. “Let me walk you to the front.”

She followed him up towards the main inn. They stood by a log bench out front where Iris rested her backpack. “He said he’d be here for 4:30,” she said.

“Almost time then,” Barry said, looking down at his watch.

“Yeah.”

She looked up at him. She hadn’t really noticed how tall he was before now. It was easier to see when they were standing so close. 

He was watching her intently with his big green eyes.

Iris felt like she could easily fall forward into them. “I had a really nice day, Barry,” she said softly.

“Me too,” he replied, his eyelashes flitting down to her lips. 

_This is it_ , she thought. _He’s going to kiss me_. 

He inched forward just slightly, as she waited with bated breath. 

“Hey, Allen!” Interrupted a familiar voice.

Barry’s eyes fell shut in regret. 

“Iris? What are you doing here?” 

The butterflies in Iris’ stomach were bursting with disappointment as she looked over to see the source. Eddie Thawne was walking up to them, dressed in his tennis kit with a racket bag slung over his shoulder.

“Here for that tennis lesson?” Eddie smirked at Iris.

Barry’s face twisted impatiently. “No, Eddie. We were just hanging out.”

“Oh,” Eddie said in surprise. A look of recognition passed over his face as his eyes darted back and forth between them. “Aw, Bear. That’s so nice of you to show Iris my uncle’s place. Oh by the way he was looking for your mom.”

Iris watched the exchange unfold uncomfortably. 

“I’m sure he was,” Barry said quietly through gritted teeth.

“What’s that?” Eddie asked.

“I’ll tell her he was,” Barry said audibly.

“All right, well, you two have a good rest of your afternoon,” Eddie beamed as he walked off.

Behind them the crunch of gravel under rubber wheels announced the approach of Joe West’s car. 

Iris noticed that Barry looked as forlorn as she felt. 

“My dad’s here,” she said. 

“Yeah.” 

She wanted to kiss him, or at least hug him, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. He didn’t move and she wondered briefly if she’d imagined the whole moment. Aware that her father was watching, she knew she needed to say goodbye quickly. In her head, she debated how, warring with herself until she was too confused to take any action, and instead stepped away. 

“Talk to you soon?” She said lightly. 

He nodded, giving her a half smile as she opened the rear car door and threw her backpack in. 

“Goodbye, Iris.”

“Bye, Barry.” She gave him a small wave as she hopped into the front seat.

He stepped back, looking momentarily at his shoes. Then he waved, squinting into the sunlight.

“How was canoeing?” Her father asked as they drove off.

Iris craned her neck to watch Barry walk away. “It was fun,” she laughed. “We tipped.”


	6. Cliff Jumping

“I think he was about to kiss me,” Iris told Linda as they feasted on dim sum at her parents’ restaurant.

“Are you serious? What happened?”

“Well… then Eddie showed up and things got really awkward.”

“Like, what kind of awkward?”

“I dunno, it didn’t really seem like he understood we were hanging out at first. And there was a definite undertone of something else.”

“An undertone?”

“Yeah. Like maybe Eddie isn’t very nice to Barry or something.”

Linda looked thoughtful for a moment. “Huh. I’ve never noticed that before. I mean, all those Lake Albert boys just grew up together. I assumed they were all friends.”

“Maybe,” Iris said pensively. “Maybe not.”

“Do you like him?”

Iris blushed. “He’s really nice.”

“So, that’s a yes.”

“Well, I mean. He’s got a nice face.”

“Nice face, nice butt, nice heart, nice mom, what more could you want?”

Iris smiled uncontrollably. 

“You should see your face right now,” Linda said, pointing her chopsticks at Iris while she chewed on a dumpling. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.”

Iris tried to hide her face in her hands. “Oh God, Linda, what am I going to do?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t even know if he likes me.”

Linda shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Iris looked up at her friend with a questioning look on her face.

“Tell him how you feel,” Linda urged. 

“I can’t do that,” Iris replied, shocked.

“Why not? Look at you. He’d be an idiot if he wasn’t madly in love with you by now.”

Iris rested her head down on the table and groaned. 

“I mean, we could do some recon, if you want.”

“Recon?” 

“Yeah, like we could ask Felicity to ask him what he thinks about you. Or maybe Oliver would know.”

“I am _not_ asking Oliver Queen to play matchmaker for me,” Iris protested.

“Okay, fair point. Have you talked since the almost kiss?”

“We exchanged a few texts.”

“Let me see.”

Iris reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She scrolled to her messages with Barry and handed it to Linda.

Linda scanned the thread, smiling from the corners of her eyes.

“Iris, he’s so in love with you!” 

“Are you sure? How do you know?”

“ _Thanks for a great time, Barry_ ,” Linda read aloud. “Him: _Glad you had fun_ , smiley face. You: _Sorry our goodbye was cut short_ . Him: _Me too,_ three hug emojis. Three!” 

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Iris replied.

“Sure it does.” Linda protested. Her thumbs tapped the screen a few times.

“What are you doing?” Iris asked.

“Testing the waters.”

“What do you mean?” Iris panicked, reaching across the table for her phone. Linda held it away from her, then pressed _Send_.

“Linda Park! What did you say?”

Linda smirked and handed the phone back. “Nothing you can’t recover from.”

Iris looked at the screen.

_When can I see you again?_

Okay, so that wasn’t the worst. “See,” Linda smiled. “Harmless.”

Iris’ phone buzzed. 

_What are you doing tomorrow?_ Came Barry’s quick reply.

Iris smiled. _Working till 3._

 _And after?_ He asked.

 _No plans_ , Iris answered.

_Want to go cliff jumping?_

Iris frowned. “He wants to know if I want to jump off a cliff tomorrow? Is that a euphemism?”

Linda shook her head. “No, there’s a cliff way on the other side of Lake Albert. There’s a waterfall and everything.” 

“Is it dangerous?” Iris asked.

“People jump off of it all the time,” Linda replied, as if that was an answer.

 _Me and the guys are going._ Barry texted a second time. _Oliver is probably bringing Felicity. Maybe Linda can come, too?_ Came another bubble.

Iris showed Linda. Her friend raised her eyebrows. “He basically just asked you on a double date.”

“Plus you.”

“Fifth wheelin’ it for the win,” Linda joked, with a fist pump.

“What should I say?” 

“Yes, obviously!”

 _Sounds fun_ , Iris typed. 

_Great, meet Ollie and me at the marina for 3:15?_

_See you then :)_

  
The next day, work dragged on. Iris found herself looking at the clock every few minutes. The end of her shift could not come soon enough. It didn’t help that it was one of the hottest days of the summer outside. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t give to not be stuck inside.

Finally, three o’clock arrived. She ditched her apron, grabbed her bag with her swimsuit and towel, then yelled a hurried goodbye to Lyla. She practically ran out the door and down mainstreet to the marina. 

Barry was crouched by the bike rack in front of the pier, locking up his bike, just as she arrived. “Hey,” he said with a smile when he saw her.

“Hey,” Iris said breathlessly. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was from Barry’s presence or from the sprint. 

They stood there, looking at each other with dumb grins on their faces for a whole minute, until Barry said, “C’mon,” and motioned for her to follow him around to the other side of the marina. 

Linda and Iris were already waiting at the end of the dock. “Hey you two,” greeted Felicity as they approached, giving Iris a hug.

“Hey,” Barry replied. 

“Ollie’s on his way,” Felicity explained. “In fact, I think I see him now.” She stood on her tip-toes and waved up river.

Iris looked, just as she heard the sound of a boat approaching. This wasn’t Cisco’s little forty-five horsepower. This was practically a yacht. 

“Hey,” Oliver greeted with a swag nod from the helm as he docked the tall cabin cruiser.

Also aboard was Diggle, who threw a rope down to Barry. Barry caught it and yanked it in, pulling the cruiser flush with the pier. 

“So I won’t be a fifth wheel after all,” Linda smirked slyly when she saw Oliver’s companion.

“Shh,” Iris urged, nudging Linda with an elbow.

There was no need to hop down into this boat. The stern was level with the height of the pier and flattened out into a swimming platform. Felicity and Linda walked aboard, unfazed. They’d obviously seen this watercraft before. Iris followed them up the steps to the cockpit. It was lined around the outside with caramel coloured leather benches. 

Felicity stepped towards Oliver, who was at the helm. She greeted him with a long kiss before she joined Iris and Linda on a bench. There was a new openness in their affection for one another. Things were clearly going well. 

“How’s Lyla?” Diggle asked Iris, while Oliver pulled the boat around. 

Barry smirked sideways at Diggle as he listened in on the conversation. Apparently Diggle’s crush was well known within the group. 

“She’s great,” Iris replied. “Though I’m sure she wonders why you haven’t been in to see her recently.”

“Really?” Diggle looked pleasantly mystified. 

Iris shrugged. “She just asks me how my friends Oliver and Digg are every once in a while.” 

Diggle blinked hopefully, sitting back in his seat with a smile on his face. 

Barry raised his eyebrows at Digg and laughed a little. 

Iris loved the way he looked when he laughed. It was like a light illuminating a dark room. 

They began their cruise all the way across Lake Albert, passing the bay where the Queen’s had their estate, on to unknown waters that Iris had yet to explore. 

“There’s drinks and snacks downstairs, if anyone’s hungry,” Oliver called over his shoulder as the boat powered on.

 _Downstairs_ , Iris marvelled. The boat had a downstairs. 

“And you can get changed,” Felicity mentioned to Iris, noting Iris’ bag.

Iris nodded and followed Felicity and Linda down a ladder into the interior cabin. Barry followed as well, mentioning that he was peckish, while Digg opted to stay up top with Oliver. 

The interior cabin was small but beautiful. There was a galley with glossy wooden cabinets and a plush seating area surrounding a little table. At the back was a door. “You can get changed in there,” Felicity told Iris, motioning towards it.

“Don’t touch any surfaces,” Linda joked.

“Why?” Iris asked.

Felicity playfully slapped Linda. 

Iris noticed Barry blushing as he looked inside the mini fridge. He was pretending not to have heard anything.

“Oh,” Iris muttered. 

She resolved to ignore her friends and went through into a tiny bedroom. Without regard for Linda’s warning, Iris put her bag down on the mattress and reached into it for her swimsuit. Once changed, she secured her towel around her waist and went back out into the galley.

The others had found some chips and soda, and were happily snacking away. Barry looked up at her briefly before blushing and looking away. She was glad she’d picked this particular bikini. It accented everything she wanted to accent. 

“There’s soda in the fridge,” Felicity said. 

“Or something stronger, if you want,” Linda suggested playfully. 

“Thanks,” Iris said, going to open the door. There were cans of soda all right, but there was also rum, vodka and whisky.

“I’d save that at least until after the cliff,” Barry replied, lightheartedly. He made it sound like a joke, but Iris recognized a now familiar hint of caution. It was the same caution that double checked her life-jacket the other day and that moved so silently during manhunt. 

Iris picked out a can of Coke. She stole a chip from the bag as she sat down beside her friends.

“So Barry,” Linda began. “Iris said you guys had a good canoe ride the other day.”

Iris’ eyes went wide across the table and she shook her head slightly. _No Linda,_ she thought urgently, hoping her friend would pick up on her brainwaves.

“She did?” Barry asked, looking at Iris. 

Iris felt her cheeks get hot. She smiled uncomfortably. 

“Yeah it was… great,” he continued. 

“It _was_ great,” Iris agreed. 

Barry smiled at her, causing a swarm of butterflies to erupt in her stomach. 

A speaker crackled overhead as Oliver came on the radio. “Almost there, you guys.”

They shifted out of their seats, drinks in hand and climbed back upstairs. Outside, Iris could hear the distinct sound of rushing water. The source became evident as she climbed aboveboard. Directly ahead was a small cove curving into a huge rocky cliff. In the center towered a thundering waterfall. It looked like the chute had eaten away at the rockface over centuries, edging out the cove and a pool at its bottom. Surrounding the cove were rock-ledge beaches, before the bottom dropped down into the deep pool. 

Ahead, she spotted Cisco and Caitlin in the little 45 speed. They were stopped closer to the shore. It looked like Cisco had thrown a rope over a fallen tree that hung out over the water. 

“Anchors aweigh,” Oliver announced.

Iris giggled, but soon realized this was actually the appropriate time to talk like a sailor. Oliver was literally dropping the anchor on the boat. She felt the craft lurch a little as it caught on the bottom of the lake.

“Cool, huh?” Barry said to Iris, nodding towards the waterfall.

“Yeah, it’s… beautiful.”

The others were beginning to shed their clothes down to their bathing suits. Oliver wasted no time. He stepped right up on the side of the boat beside the helm and dove straight down into the water. 

Linda, Felicity and Diggle went to the swim platform at the stern and jumped into the water, one after the other. 

“You coming?” Barry asked, turning his head over his shoulder as he climbed down from the cockpit.

“Of course,” Iris replied. She followed jovially, leaping into the water just after Barry. The lake was like bath water under the hot summer sun. She followed the others as they swam towards the cliff, and wondered just how they were going to get up the side of the rock face. 

Her question was soon answered. When they reached the inside of the cove, she spotted outcrops in the bluff that provided a natural staircase to the top.

“Last one to the top is a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins,” Cisco called as he and Caitlin ran ahead, having beaten everyone to the shore.

“Hey, no fair,” Barry called back, still swimming towards the ledge. “You had a head start!”

Ahead of them, Oliver kicked purposefully, determined to be the next to hit landfall. Reaching the shore, he bounded up out of the water then ran up the rocky crag like his feet could have remembered the steps in his sleep. Felicity and Digg followed close behind.

With a shriek of laughter, Linda emerged next. 

Iris swam as fast as she could, making it to the shore just as Barry did. But as she looked up at the rock steps her head felt like she was still swimming. It was steeper than she expected.

“Just ignore Cisco,” Barry said, observing her concerned gaze while he stepped towards the first outcrop. “Take your time.”

Iris nodded and summoned her resolve. 

The first story wasn’t so bad. But as they reached about half way, the outcrops smoothed out into steep granite masses covered in pine needles and roots. It was hard to find a foothold. She did her best to follow Barry’s placement ahead of her. The further they went, the harder it became until finally, near the top, Iris half wondered if she should have brought some rock climbing gear. 

Starting with a cannonball from Cisco, one by one her friends leapt down with shrieks and laughter, splashing into the sparkling cove below. That left only her and Barry. 

Iris wedged her fingers into a crack in the boulder she was facing just as Barry scrambled over the ledge above her. She pressed her foot down into an exposed root, hoping to give herself some leverage, but wasn’t sure where next to place her hands. The lip of the ledge was just a few inches too far. 

Barry turned and watched her for a second. His eyes on her only accelerated her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t want to look like a wimp, or like she was incapable of climbing. It was hard when her brain was yelling, _Danger, Iris West, danger!_

 _Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down_ , she told herself. 

“Here,” Barry said, kneeling on the side of the ledge and extending a firm hand.

Iris looked up at him.

His face was kind and earnest.

She reached up and took his offer of help. 

“You see that ridge?” He said. “Put your foot there. That’s it. You got it.”

She propelled herself up over the ledge, Barry pulling her gently by the hand for moral support. 

Iris heaved a deep breath of relief. 

She did it. 

The feeling of triumph was short lived. She stood up, regretting it almost immediately. The crest of the waterfall beside them was throwing up a roaring spray before it plunged down into the cove below. If the cliff looked high from the bottom, it was _nothing_ compared to what it looked like from the top. 

Barry was standing at the tip of the ledge as it extended out beside the waterfall. “It’s okay,” he said. “The water is deep.”

Iris peered over the side. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” he smiled confidently. 

He reached his hand back, and she took it instinctively. He held her hand firmly, and she was appreciative for the feeling of warmth and comfort it gave her.

“We’ll go together,” he said. “On three.”

Iris nodded. 

“One, two… _three!_ ”

They leaped over the edge. Iris squeezed her eyes shut almost immediately.

At first, it felt like jumping off a jungle gym. There was a familiar feeling of weightlessness and joy. But at some point, Iris felt they should have met the water already. Instead, they kept falling. She was too scared to open her eyes and she’d lost Barry’s hand in the freefall. Now it was just her, slipping down into a lengthy abyss. 

Finally, her toes met water and she was plunging down, down, down, deep under the surface. She opened her eyes. The water was dark around her, save for a cloud of bubbles that surrounded Barry beside her. Above, the sun was struggling to beam through the lakewater. 

Needing air, she kicked, parting her hands in several swift strokes as she pulled herself up through the water to the surface. When she emerged, she could hear their friends cheering and hollering from the edge of the water. 

Beside her, Barry breached the surface with a whoop and a hearty laugh. “What do you think?” He said. “Want to go again?”

“Yeah!”

Iris couldn’t stop laughing as she and Barry strolled up Main Street towards her house later that afternoon. The ecstatic adrenaline of cliff jumping and spending the day on Oliver’s boat still hadn’t worn off. 

“I can’t believe Cisco did a double back flip,” she recounted in amazement.

“Yeah,” he smiled, playing with the gears on his bike as he walked it along. “He has some cool moves. For cliff jumping, anyway. His dance moves are… horrendous.”

Iris dissolved into another bout of giggles. “I need to see that some time,” she said, just as they arrived at the front of her house.

“Hopefully not for a long time,” Barry joked. 

She laughed again. “Well, if Oliver and Felicity ever get married, I’ll see it at their wedding.”

Barry laughed and looked away. “If you and I ever got married, I would not let Cisco dance at our wedding.”

Iris paused.

Barry’s eyes widened as if he’d only just realized what he’d said. 

Her heart was pounding. The blood was rushing through her ears and she could hardly hear. Did he like her? Was that what he was trying to say? First the almost kiss, then an offhand comment about marriage. 

“Barry, I --”

“Iris!” called Wally’s voice from the front porch of their house. “Mom says, and I quote, ‘Bring that skinny boy in here so I can feed him.’”

Iris blinked and looked over at her brother, who was looking down at them with a smirk on his face. She turned back to Barry, whose ears had gone red. “Um, do you want to come in for dinner?” 

“Yeah, okay,” he nodded. He leaned his bike against the lamp post at the edge of their lawn, before wrapping his lock around it. 

Iris led him up the steps to the porch and into the front hall where the smell of her mom’s shrimp creole was wafting out of the kitchen to their right. Barry followed behind her, nervously straightening out his hair and shirt. He tugged at his swim trunks, which he was still wearing as shorts. 

In the living room to their left, her father was watching baseball. He turned his head as they entered the room. “Hey Iris,” he greeted her. “Who’s this?” 

Iris knew that father knew exactly who _this_ was, but appreciated the pretense to introduce them.

“Dad, this is my friend, Barry,” she said.

“Good to meet you, son,” Joe said, getting up from his chair and extending his hand to the young man.

“Hello, sir,” Barry responded formally. “Nice to meet you, too, sir.”

A twitch of a smile crossed Joe’s face. “I like this one,” he said shaking his finger and pointing jovially at Barry before sitting back down in his chair.

Iris smiled, feeling that went about as well as it could have.

“I -- uh -- I should let my mom know that I won’t be home for a while,” Barry mentioned. 

“Of course, do you want to use the phone in the kitchen?”

“Sure.”

She led him across the hall and into the kitchen.

“Hey mom,” she greeted.

“Well hello,” Francine replied with a smile, turning away from the stove and wiping her hands on her apron. “Glad you could join us, Barry.” She embraced him with a hug, which he seemed both pleased and startled by. 

“Thanks for inviting me in, Mrs. West,” he replied.

His good manners did something funny to Iris, like she just wanted to hug him tight and never let him go. She’d been hesitant to bring him in the house before now, not sure how her parents would react to her bringing a boy home. She didn’t want to make a big deal of it. Seeing him interact so pleasantly with them was a huge relief to her. 

“Barry was just going to call his mom,” Iris said, walking over to the phone on the wall and taking it off the receiver. 

“By all means,” Francine replied, turning back to her cooking. 

Barry smiled and took the receiver from Iris, then dialed his mom’s number. “Hey mom,” he said. “I’m at Iris’ house. Her mom invited me to stay for dinner.” 

Iris leaned against the wall as he spoke. She could just make out Nora’s voice on the other end.

“That was nice of her. Make sure you say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’,” Nora was saying.

“I will, don’t worry,” Barry replied. 

“Do you want me to come to pick you up later?” 

“I have my bike,” he answered.

“Bear. You know I don’t like you cycling in the dark.”

“I’ll be fine mom, I have my lights.”

“I’ll pick you up. What time?”

Barry covered the receiver and looked up at Iris. “What time should she pick me up?”

Iris looked over at her mom who didn’t seem to be paying attention. “9:30? 10?” Iris suggested softly. They could hang out after dinner for a while. She wanted to savor the time together. 

“Say, 10?” Barry answered, catching on.

Nora paused a little on the other end like she was considering if it was too late. “All right,” she replied. “Maybe we’ll schedule you that driver’s test when we go back to the city.”

He smiled. “That’d be good.”

“Say hello to Iris,” Nora was saying.

“I will. She says hi, too.”

Iris nodded.

“I love you,” Nora said.

“Love you too, Mom. See you later.” Barry hung the receiver back up on the wall.

Iris beamed at him, trying her best not to make a big deal of the fact that he found it so easy to tell his mom he loved her. That uncontrollable urge to hug him and never let him go was returning.

Dinner turned out to be the gentlest interrogation Iris had ever witnessed. It was so stealthy, she didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late. 

Barry, on the other hand, didn’t seem phased by her parents gently prodding questions.

“Did you have a good time out on the lake, today?” Francine began as they started their meal.

“Yeah, Iris, what were you and Barry up to all day?” Wally smirked.

Iris kicked him under the table. “We had a great time, thanks, Mom. Wally, why don’t you tell us about Harry’s daughter?”

Francine and Joe side-eyed their son. Wally’s eyes widened momentarily. 

“What’s to tell?” He asked innocently. 

“I don’t know…” Iris trailed off, before locking her eyes like daggers on her brother. 

Wally swallowed and went silent. 

Joe examined his son with a knowing look. 

Francine turned to Barry.

“Barry, Iris tells us that you’re an old friend of Felicity’s?” She asked.

Barry, who had been digging into his food with vigour, paused. “Yes ma’am,” He replied, “I pretty well grew up with her and a few of the others on Lake Albert during the summers, here.”

“So your family cottages here?” Joe asked.

“Yeah, they do.”

“Where do you live during the rest of the year?”

“Central City. Iris told me you used to be a detective there?” Barry asked politely.

“I was,” Joe confirmed, with a look Iris’ recognized as saying something along the lines of: _So, if you hurt my daughter I’ll know how to hunt you down_. 

“That’s really cool,” Barry replied cheerfully, completely missing the veiled implications of Joe’s stare. “I’m hoping to join the CCPD as a CSI one day,” 

Joe’s face softened at this new information. “That can be pretty grisly work, son. What makes you interested in being CSI?” He asked. “And don’t tell me television…”

“No,” Barry shook his head and laughed a little. “It just seems like a good way to help people while combining my love of physics and chemistry with something practical.”

Joe hummed thoughtfully. Iris knew Barry’s earnest answer would have touched her father’s heart. “Well, maybe I could put you in touch with the director of the lab there,” Joe suggested. “See if he can’t give you a little career guidance.”

“Really?” Barry asked hopefully. “That would be amazing, sir.”

Joe nodded. “I’ll make some calls next week.”

“Wow, thank you,” Barry beamed. “Thank you so much.”

Barry later earned extra brownie points by asking Francine for a second helping of her shrimp creole. 

“You have a very beautiful house,” he said to Iris’ mom as they all finished dessert. 

“Thank you, Barry, that’s kind of you to say,” Francine accepted the compliment. 

“Would you like the tour?” Iris asked, seeing an opportunity to excuse themselves from the table without suspicion. 

“Okay,” Barry agreed.

Iris led him away from the table, silently thankful that her parents didn’t call her back for dish duty. It could be Wally’s turn tonight.

She took him around the rest of the main floor, out to the backyard and then down to the basement cellar. It was unfinished, with a low ceiling and lined flagstone walls. It was cool and damp, despite the heat outside.

“The realtor told us this house was used as part of the underground railroad network,” she told him as she clicked on a light.

“Whoa,” he breathed, looking around. “This basement is --”

“Creepy.” Iris finished.

“I was going to say cool, but I can see your point. Do you think it’s haunted?”

Iris shivered. “How could it not be?” She suggested. “In a manner of speaking, of course... I guess that’s all that’s down here. Let me show you upstairs.”

She turned on a heel and bounded up the steps, turning the corner in the main hallway and continuing on to the next flight. Barry raced along behind her. 

“This is my room,” she said casually, pushing open her door and letting him follow her in. 

His eyes looked wondrously from wall to wall as if she’d let him into some secret realm. She sat cross-legged on her bed and watched him take in the posters from old jazz gigs that her dad had given her, illuminated by the soft glow of fairy lights that she’d strung back and forth across the ceiling. She reached into her pocket for her phone and put on some music. _Coming Home_ by Leon Bridges seemed like a good fit. 

“Which is your favorite?” Barry asked, browsing her bookshelves.

Iris climbed off of the bed and went to his side. “This one,” she said, picking Maya Angelou’s _Still I Rise_ off of the shelf and handing it to him. “I’ve been re-reading it a lot this year.”

She retook her seat on the bed, as he flipped through the pages of poetry. His eyes scanned the pages, hovering now and again as he took in the words. 

“Will you read it to me?” He asked after a moment, handing the book back to her, open to its titular poem. 

Iris’ heart beat strangely in her chest. She wasn’t in the practice of reading poems aloud. Especially not ones that meant so much to her. 

But Barry was so unassuming in the way he asked, she could hardly say no. He sat down on the floor beside her bed and leaned his back against the mattress, waiting patiently.

Iris cleared her throat and began, the first line choppy on her tongue until she found her rhythm and it came out naturally, flowing from her with more truth and power than she expected. 

When she finished she closed the book and set it on her bedside table, feeling suddenly exhausted. She leaned forward across the mattress, lying with her head propped up by her hand as she listened to the soft music playing. 

“Is it hard?” Barry asked quietly after a moment, turning towards her and leaning his head against the edge of the mattress.

“Is what hard?” Iris asked. 

He figeted, seemingly hesitant to ask. Iris wondered anxiously what he was going to say next.

“Summerville isn’t the most diverse place around,” he said cautiously.

Iris laughed humourlessly. “You mean, it’s pretty white.”

Barry blinked and nodded.

“Yeah, it is,” Iris said, resting her head back on the mattress. She was aware it was unclear whether she was answering his question or agreeing with his comment. She didn’t clarify. 

The music faded to the next song.

_I don’t want much. I just want to be a better man to my baby..._

“I’m glad I met you, Iris,” Barry said quietly and confessionally.

She tilted her head towards him. “I’m glad I met you too, Bear.”

He laughed warmly.

“What?” She asked.

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head but still smiling.

“No, tell me,” she said, her face curling over the edge of the mattress, inching towards him. 

“You’ve just never called me Bear before,” he said.

Iris thought about it. He was right. “Oh. Well, you might want to get used to it. I kind of like it. It makes you sound very cuddly.”

“You know, bears are actually quite ferocious,” he protested. 

“Are they?” Iris laughed. “I always thought they looked like they could use a good snuggle.”

The tips of Barry’s ears went a little pink. “Is that what you think?” He ventured, batting his eyelashes. There was caution in his voice, but something else, too. Something husky and needful. “That I could use a good snuggle?”

Alert now, Iris propped herself up again.

Barry strained his neck to hold her gaze. 

“I don’t know,” she said as she sat up on her knees. Her heart was pitter-pattering in her chest. “Could you?”

His face was even and ardent as his eyes held hers. “Sometimes, I think it might be nice,” he said quietly. 

“From me, or just in general?” Iris asked, looking down at the mattress. 

Barry opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a soft knock at the bedroom door. It opened almost immediately, and Francine stuck her head in through the crack. “Barry,” she said kindly, “Your mother is here.”

“We’ll be right down,” Iris replied urgently, hoping her mother would give them one more moment alone. 

Luckily, Francine conceded but left the door open a crack. 

Iris searched Barry’s eyes, but it became clear that the moment was lost. He cleared his throat and clamored to his feet, brushing his hands over his thighs as he straightened out his clothes. 

Iris stood up from her bed and went to him, still hopeful that he might answer her last enquiry. 

“Thanks for showing me your safe haven,” he said, taking one last look around the room as if he wanted to commit it to memory. 

“Any time,” Iris said breathlessly. She didn’t want him to go. Not yet. 

She reached forward, threading her arms under his and squeezing his torso to her chest. When he realized what was happening he returned the embrace in equal measure. 

“Goodnight, Iris,” he said quietly into the top of her head. She wasn’t sure, but she thought he placed a kiss on her hair.

“Goodnight, Bear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such an agonizingly slow burn! I want to build their friendship organically through this AU :)


	7. The Mixtape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pop culture references in this fic are confused about what year they're living in. Roll with it 😇?

The next time Iris saw Barry it was a rainy morning. Jitters was almost deserted and Iris was wiping down the tables near the front. Suddenly, he rushed in through the door, half soaked and looking distressed.

“Barry?” Iris asked in surprise as she took in his appearance. “Are you all right?”

He stepped towards her, looking like he wanted to say something, but his mouth just gaped. 

“What is it?” She asked.

“I have to go,” he said, each word slow and laborious as it left his mouth.

Iris blinked, confused. “Okay... but you just got here?”

He shook his head and reached for her hands, holding them as he swallowed painfully. “I mean, I’m leaving. Summerville.”

Iris felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. “Wh -- what? What do you mean?”

“My mom needs to go back to the city on business for the next two weeks and she doesn’t want to leave me alone, so, I have to go with her.”

“But... what about your job? Can’t you just stay at the resort? There are lots of people around…”

Barry blinked and shook his head. “I know. I know, I tried to tell her I would be fine, but she says it's important that I go, too. I dunno, we were just going to go for two days, but then some of her meetings got pushed back and her and my dad are kinda fighting and they need to work things out and…”

An avalanche of emotion was rushing out of him. Iris received it as best she could, nodding along despite the crushing weight of the news that Barry was imminently departing.

“... So we’re not going to be back until August,” he explained.

Iris’ throat twisted into a knot. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Two weeks of an eight week summer was critical -- an eternity in the life of a teenager falling in love for the first time. 

A large group entered the cafe, looking for a snack and a caffeine fix. They jostled behind Barry as they edged their way to the counter. 

“But you _are_ coming back,” Iris managed to say. 

He nodded and blinked, still holding onto her hands. 

Well, that was something.

“Iris…” he began. “There’s something I wanted to tell you.”

She looked up at him with wide eyes. _Please be what I hope it is_ , she prayed.

“Iris!” Lyla called from behind the counter as the group began to order. “A little back up on cash, please?”

Iris nodded at her boss and turned to Barry. “Can you hang on for a minute? I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Yeah, of course.” Barry took a seat at a table, looking despondent.

Iris hurried to help Lyla, going on autopilot at the till as she tried to blink back tears. Barry’s news was devastating. He couldn’t leave. He was the best thing to have happened to her since they moved here. 

She returned to him as soon as she could, sitting opposite the table. He’d taken a thin square package out of the inside pocket of his rain shell and was turning it over his hands. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with twine, decorated only with a little iris flower that had been drawn on it in pencil crayon.

“I made you something,” he said, handing it to her.

Iris took it, looking it over inquisitively. “What is it?” She asked. 

“Open it when you get home, okay?”

This only made her more curious, but she nodded in agreement. 

“I should go,” he said, standing abruptly. “Mom and I are going to hit the road after lunch, and I still have to cycle home.”

“O-okay,” Iris replied, the word getting caught in her throat as she stood, too.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He was shivering. He must have been cold from the rain. Iris let her head rest against his chest, breathing in the smell of him and wishing they could stay like this forever. 

“I’ll miss you,” she said quietly. She wasn’t sure if he heard her, but he squeezed her a little tighter.

“See you when I get back,” he promised.

Iris nodded, pulling away from him. “See you when you get back.”

He turned away from her and began to walk towards the door. He paused before leaving to give her a sorrowful little wave and a half-smile. “I’ll text you,” he called.

She tried her best to smile and nod back, despite the feeling that he was taking her heart with him. 

“What was that all about?” Lyla asked Iris as she emptied mugs from the dishwasher. 

Iris shook her head, still blinking back tears. “My best friend is going away for a while,” she found herself saying.

Lyla nodded empathetically. “I’m sorry, Iris.”

“Me too.”

When she got home, Iris slammed the front door shut behind her and raced up the stairs. 

“Iris?” Her mom called after her. “Dinner’s on the table.”

“I’m not hungry,” Iris called over her shoulder as she went into her room. She closed the door behind her and sank down onto the bed, clutching the little paper package Barry had given her. 

She rubbed her thumb across the flower. It was a sweet gesture. She pulled the twine off the side of the package and slipped her fingers under the taped fold, pulling up on the paper as she opened it.

It was a slender CD case. Iris smiled to herself. She didn’t know people did this anymore. He’d made her a mixtape.

She opened the case. Inside was an unmarked CD and a little paper booklet that Barry had clearly put together himself. She slid it out of its spot and flipped the pages open. On each page was a lyric, the name of a song and a band all written in a distinct blocky scrawl. Some of the names she recognized, some she didn’t.

She looked around her room. She didn’t have a CD player, but she knew her dad did downstairs. She took the case and headed down to the dining room where the rest of her family was eating dinner.

“Iris?” Her mom asked as she spotted her daughter in the doorway of the dining room. “Is everything all right?”

Iris wasn’t sure how to respond, so she didn’t. “Dad?” her voice cracked as she said it.

Wally looked over in surprise and concern.

“Yes, baby girl?” Joe replied.

“Can I use your CD player?”

Joe blinked across the table at his wife. That clearly wasn’t what he was expecting to come next. He seemed to catch on to the urgency of the situation from the expression on Iris’ face and didn’t challenge her on joining them for dinner. Instead, he wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin and pushed back in his chair.

Iris followed him into the living room where the stereo was. He opened the cabinet, turned it on and pressed the button for the CD tray. He extended his hand in a silent request. Iris loosened her tight grasp on the case in her hands. She opened it and handed the CD to him. 

“Can I borrow your headphones?” She asked.

Her father nodded, plugging in the quarter inch jack and handing them to her as he adjusted the volume. 

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, feeling relieved.

She slipped the headphones over her ears and took a seat on the carpet. Her father kissed her on the top of her head, then quietly returned to his dinner. 

The earpieces enclosed her in her own little world, gradually surrounding her with the sound of a synthetic organ pulsating gently against her ear drum. She flipped open the booklet to the first page and read the lyrics scrawled across the page. He’d made a change in the first few lines.

 _If I could open my arms / and span the length of_ [Central City] _/ I’d bring it to where you are._

The knot that had been in her chest since Barry’s visit to Jitters melted away as the sound washed over her. She sank back against the floor and closed her eyes, listening intently to every word and every note.

There were fourteen songs in all. Each was sweet it its own way, enhanced by the specific lyric that Barry had written in the booklet. A mellow acoustic guitar rhythm serenaded her with the promise, _You can rely on me to understand you / You can rely on me for anything_ . A reminiscently 80s synth asked, _I pull up to the front of your driveway with magic soaking my spine / Can you read my mind?_

Forty five minutes later, she was practically a puddle on her parents’ carpet. She clutched the little booklet desperately to her chest after reading the lyrics he’d chosen for the last song. Its anthemic horns accompanying the declaration, _But her eyes saved his life in the middle of summer._

Not written in the booklet, but so prominent in the same song that she couldn’t miss it were the lines, _He was just hanging around, then he fell in love in the middle of summer_ … Her heart beat swiftly in her chest. Was this his way of telling her? Telling her that he did have feelings for her?

As the song decrescendoed to a close, she rolled over and hit the back button, listening to the last song immediately over again.

A second listen only excited and confused her more. 

She was going to need help deciphering all of this.

The next day, she paced back and forth in Felicity’s bedroom, while Felicity and Linda lay on their stomachs at the edge of the bed, listening attentively to Iris’ recap.

Playing in the background was the CD Barry had made. Linda was flicking through the booklet, reading the carefully chosen lyrics with a concentrated look on her face.

“I can’t tell,” Iris was saying. “Some of them are just like… friend songs. You know? They’re not about love they’re just like… I’ll be your friend.”

“Yeah, but some of them are definitely not just friend songs,” Linda observed.

“Exactly,” Iris emphasized, taking a seat on the floor in front of her friends.

Felicity’s brows were knitted as she puzzled over Iris’ story. “Did you guys talk much about music when you were hanging out?”

Iris shook her head. “Not really.”

“Hmm,” Felicity pondered. 

“What?”

“Well, let’s think about this logically. _If_ boy makes girl a mixtape, _then_ boy probably likes girl, _unless_ there’s a null factor, like they’re both big music fans and just sharing recommended tunes. Outcome that boy probably likes girl is multiplied by existence of sexual tension squared, plus extra points for any near kisses or almost intimacy.”

“Did you just write an algorithm for decoding Iris’ mixtape?” Linda asked in amazement.

Felicity smiled proudly. “That’s my jam.” 

“You guys really think Barry likes me? I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

“Iris the writing is on the wall,” Linda told her confidently. “Or at least, in these _lovingly handmade_ liner notes.” She waved the booklet around a little to add extra emphasis.

“Hey,” Iris protested, reaching out and taking the liner notes back. “Be careful with that.”

“Listen,” Linda counselled, “If you’re not sure, just wait until he gets back and suss it out then. Two weeks isn’t that long.”

Iris flopped down with a sigh, letting her back fall against the floor. “It feels like forever.”

Perhaps fittingly, every day that Barry was away it seemed to rain. It wasn’t just light, summer rain. No, it was thick, heavy, torrential rain. Occasionally in the late afternoons it swelled into angry thunderstorms. Iris sympathized with the sky. She felt just as tumultuous.

She was sitting on the floor of the living room with her back against the couch, re-reading the last texts she’d shared with Barry. At Linda’s suggestion she’d decided to leave her big questions until he returned, but she didn’t want there to be radio silence between them.

 _Thanks for the CD_ , she’d written.

 _You’re welcome_ , he’d replied. _I hope you liked it_.

 _I did_. She said. It was hard to think of what to say. Text messages felt so inadequate. 

He’d responded with three hug emojis.

“Three!” She heard Linda’s voice in her head. 

Not knowing what to put next she replied with the same three emojis.

 _Pretty good picks for a white boy_ , she teased when he didn’t type anything else.

He responded with a laughing crying emoji. _Guilty_.

He typed and stopped, typed and stopped. 

Iris waited. 

Then he stopped all together.

 _Miss you_ , she typed. She hit send before she could second guess herself. Her heart pounded in her chest, waiting for a response. She didn’t have to wait long.

 _Miss you too_ , he replied.

Now she was compulsively re-reading this exchange as the rain thundered down outside, wishing she could think of something else to say that didn’t seem too intense. 

“Hi hon,” her mother said, coming over to sit behind her on the couch.

“Hey mom,” she said, putting her phone down.

“You ever going to tell me what’s going on with you?”

Iris shrugged. “It’s no big deal.” She was unable to hide the sadness in her voice.

Her mom pulled Iris’ hair back over her shoulder, split it into two parts and started to braid one side. “Are you sure? If it’s making you this sad it must be kind of a big deal.”

Iris sighed but didn’t respond. She just let her mom continue playing with her hair. “Mom? How did you know Dad liked you?” she asked after a while.

Francine’s hands paused momentarily before she reached for another lock. “Your father and I met in a jazz club when we were in our twenties,” Francine chuckled under her breath. “The attraction was mutual and obvious from the start.”

Iris smiled at the thought as her mother finished the first braid then started on the other side. 

“Things are a little different when you’re older,” Francine explained. 

Iris nodded in understanding. 

“Any particular reason why you ask?” Her mother enquired gently.

“No,” Iris said lightly. “No reason.”

“I haven’t seen you walking home with Barry this past week,” Francine suggested softly. 

Iris tensed. Was she that transparent? “He went home to the city for a bit,” she replied, trying her best to keep her voice casual.

“Oh,” Francine mused as she tied the second braid at the bottom, and swung it over Iris’ shoulder. “That’s too bad. Is he coming back?”

“I hope so.”

“He’s a nice boy.”

“Yeah,” Iris agreed. “He is.”

There was a knock at the front door. Iris looked up through the front window and spotted the headlights of Oliver’s porsche in the front drive piercing through the rain.

“My my,” Francine uttered as she went to answer the door. “Who could this be?”

Standing on the other side of the door, both looking a little damp was Felicity and Oliver. “Good evening, Mrs. West,” Oliver greeted politely. 

“Hello, Oliver, Felicity,” Francine replied.

“Is Iris home?” Felicity asked. “We were hoping to take her out for a night on the town. And by night on the town I mean a casual hang at Oliver’s place, followed by a sleepover at mine, not any kind of debauchery that you might disapprove of. I’m sure you’ve noticed she’s been a little down lately and we just wanted to cheer her up.”

Iris smirked as she listened from her place by the couch. She hoped her mother would consent to Felicity’s proposal.

“I _have_ noticed,” Francine mused, examining them with slight suspicion. 

“Can I go, Mom?” Iris asked, approaching her side.

Francine considered the request thoughtfully then said, “Well, all right.”

“Thank you!” Iris beamed, launching up on tip toe to give her mother a kiss on the cheek. “I’m just going to grab my toothbrush,” Iris called over her shoulder as she bounded up the stairs.

“So by casual hang, I meant we’re getting everyone together, and by sleepover at mine, I meant crashing at Oliver’s after a few wobbly pops,” Felicity explained as they drove off in the porsche.

Iris laughed. “I had a feeling you weren’t telling the whole truth.”

They stopped briefly to pick up Linda, then drove over to the Queen estate. The rain had faded into a drizzle by the time they arrived in the massive, circular driveway. 

“I told everyone to meet us down at the bunkie,” Oliver said as they got out of the car. 

Iris and Linda followed the couple across the lawn and over towards the tree line where the bunkie was. Inside the cabin, Diggle, Cisco, Caitlin, Eddie, Thea and Roy were all engaged in a lively game of beer pong. Iris looked around the interior. She’d only ever been on the porch before. ‘Bunkie’ was still a poor name for this domicile, she thought. It was, for all intents and purposes, a cottage. 

“Can I get you ladies something to drink?” Oliver offered, going to the fridge.

“Vodka and orange for me,” Felicity requested.

“Me too, please,” Linda chimed.

Iris shrugged. “Sure, sounds good.”

He poured three drinks and handed them around. 

Iris took a seat on the couch and watched the game unfold. There was a round robin happening. Soon, Iris and Linda were recruited into a team as Cisco and Caitlin defeated Digg and Eddie and needed new opponents. They didn’t survive the round, meaning that Cisco and Caitlin continued on to play Thea and Roy, then finally Felicity and Oliver who broke their winning streak.

“Looks like we have new beer pong champs,” Eddie suggested, slapping Oliver on the back. 

“Nuh uh!” Cisco protested. “Rematch when Barry gets back.”

Iris’ stomach twisted at the mere mention of his name. She wished he was there.

Eddie laughed. “Seriously Ramon? Boy’s a lightweight.”

“Man, think strategically!” Cisco responded as if it were obvious. “Barry’s fast and has great aim therefore he doesn’t need to be a heavyweight.” He flopped down on the couch beside Iris in exasperation.

“His aim still isn’t better than mine,” Oliver rebutted.

“Yeah, and what am I, chopped liver?” Caitlin quipped with mock offense.

“Caitlin, my dear friend. I love you, but we got to practice if we want to get you up to Barry’s level. He’s the best. Isn’t that right, Iris?” Cisco joked, wrapping his arm around Iris and squeezing.

Iris’ cheeks were warm from the vodka. Her hands felt warm and fuzzy and her head was swimming a little. “Yeah,” Iris agreed. Then softly and without thinking she said, “I love Barry.”

She’d meant it in the same tone that Cisco was joking, or the way that Felicity had once declared Barry her favourite. It wasn’t meant to have any consequences. It was just a lighthearted statement of affection. 

But Cisco’s eyes widened at her declaration. Thankfully, he seemed to be the only one who had heard her, the others having decided to start another tournament. 

“Oh my God,” Cisco asserted quietly as he read the warm smile on Iris’ face. “You really do.”

Iris felt the blood drain from her cheeks as Cisco studied her. “No, I just mean --” she started to explain.

“I’m gonna tell him!” Cisco declared, whipping his phone out of his back pocket.

“What? Cisco, no!”

He launched up off the couch and down the hallway, calling Barry via FaceTime on his phone. Iris booked it after him, causing the others to glance up briefly, before returning to their game.

Iris caught up to him just as Barry was answering. “Hey Cisco, what’s up?” Barry asked. He appeared to be in his bedroom at home.

“Heyyy Barry,” Cisco greeted, with a cheerful smile. “I’m just here with Iris.”

Iris reached over his shoulders trying to grab the phone away. He swatted away her advances, and instead pointed the camera at her. She held back, not wanting to look too foolish.

“Hey Iris,” Barry said with a warm half smile. “What are you guys up to?”

“Barry, whatever he says, don’t listen to him,” Iris said with determination as Cisco held the phone up and out of her reach.

On the other end, Barry laughed a little at his friends’ antics.

“Oh you know,” Cisco continued. “We’re just at Oliver’s playing beer pong and it came to my attention that Ms. West over here has something she wants to tell you.”

Iris could see Barry’s interest perk up a little through the video feed. “Oh yeah?”

“Cisco, stop,” Iris pleaded.

“C’mon Iris, Barry’s waiting.” He turned and smirked at her. It was all the opportunity that Iris needed to knock the phone from Cisco’s hand, pick it up, and cut the call short. 

“Hey!” Cisco said. “I was just trying to help.”

“It’s not helping,” Iris said with fury in her eyes, taking his phone and pocketing it.

“All right, all right, I won’t help. But don’t come crying back to Cisco if you change your mind.”

“I won’t,” Iris said over her shoulder as she walked away. 

“Can I have my phone back?” Cisco called after her.

She shook her head and headed back to the living room.

Her own phone buzzed in her pocket. Taking it out, she saw there was a text from Barry.

 _Everything ok_? He was asking.

Iris tried to breathe. She slipped out onto the porch to get some fresh air before replying. She sat on the steps and thought about what to say.

 _Yeah_ , she wrote. _Cisco just had too much to drink, and is being stupid_.

 _Wouldn’t be the first time_ , Barry wrote back with a winky face.

Her heart was still pounding from almost being exposed. She was glad he didn’t seem thrown off by it. 

_Wish I was there_ , he wrote again with a smiley.

 _Me too._ Iris replied.

“Hey Iris,” said a soft voice behind her. She turned to see Eddie approaching. “Out here all by yourself?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Just needed some air.”

“Everything okay?” He asked taking a seat beside her.

“Oh yeah, everything is fine.”

“Are you sure, ‘cause it looked like you almost tackled Cisco in there…” He laughed cautiously.

Iris laughed, too. “Oh that. That was nothing. Just joking around.”

Eddie nodded. “You look really nice tonight,” he said. “I like your braids.”

“Oh,” she said, her cheeks warming at the compliment. “Thanks. My mom did it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s very talented,” he said, examining Francine’s handiwork.

Iris smiled. “It’s just a thing she does whenever she wants to talk with me. You know, like a mom and daughter chat.”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah. My mom, too.” He joked. “Whenever she wants to have a mom and son chat." 

Iris chuckled. Maybe she’d been mistaken about Eddie. He seemed nice enough. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Eddie continued saying. “If maybe you’d like to get a coffee sometime?”

“Oh,” Iris uttered in surprise. She hadn’t been expecting that. 

“I mean… if you’re not seeing anyone already,” he qualified.

Iris felt her eyebrows knit together. Why did everything have to be so complicated? “That’s really sweet Eddie,” she started to say. His face was so hopeful, she didn’t want to shoot him down too harshly. “Can I think about it?”

Eddie nodded. “Of course, Iris. Take all the time you need.”

She gave him a smile, then stood up from the steps, opting to go back inside. She found Linda curled beside Cisco, playing with a lock of his hair and whispering conspiratorially. Cisco smiled until he noticed Iris approaching. Then he looked frightened.

She reached into her pocket and made to hand the phone back. At the last second, she held it back just out of reach. “Can I trust you?” She demanded, holding his phone hostage. 

“Yes ma’am,” he replied.

“Good.” She handed it to him.

She turned in early that night, taking a twin bunk in one of the guest rooms. She lay, staring up at the upper bunk for a little while before sleep took hold. The grain and knots in the wood of the bunk bed danced in front of her as her head swam from the vodka. She wished with all her heart that Barry was there, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs mentioned in this chapter are:  
> 1\. Marching Bands of Manhattan - Death Cab for Cutie  
> 2\. You Can Rely On Me - Jason Mraz  
> 3\. Read My Mind - The Killers  
> 4\. When the Day Met the Night - Panic! At the Disco


	8. The Bonfire of the Vanities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for what I've turned Henry into here.  
> I love Henry in the show and John Wesley Shipp's representation of him.  
> This is all just for fun for the sake of this story.

Iris’ mind was elsewhere. No matter how hard she tried to focus on daily tasks, she just couldn’t get Barry off her mind. She’d recreated the playlist from the mix CD on her phone. On her walks to and from work she put her earbuds in and internalized every word sung through the tiny speakers. 

At home she hardly ate dinner. Instead, she opted to spend her evenings daydreaming while she listened to songs that she considered putting on a mix-CD for Barry in reply. 

She thought about what it would be like when she saw him again. What would he say? 

Did she want him to say anything? Maybe she just wanted him to rush forward and kiss her senseless. Then she would know for sure that he loved her.

And after? After, they would spend every day of the rest of the summer together, sneaking away from the others when they could, just to be alone, so he could thread his hands up into her hair, down her spine and lord knows where else.

She pictured him stealing her away around the back of the Queen’s bunkie for a kiss. It would grow ever more heated until he’d reach below her bum and hook her legs up and around his waist, all the while pressing her back into the wall. She’d thread her hair through those lush chestnut strands until his cheeks flushed scarlett. 

Maybe one day, when her parents were out, or Nora was away from the cabin, they could have a bedroom to themselves. Then maybe she could investigate how far those freckles really went.

But no matter what she imagined, or how much she worked herself up, it was never enough. It wouldn’t be enough until Barry returned and she could tell him that she loved him.

Her chance would come sooner than she expected.

She was hanging out on the beach at Oliver’s while Cisco got a bonfire started. Her feet were slung over the side of one of the Adirondack chairs circling the fire pit. She, Linda and Felicity were watching the sunset over Lake Albert. Cisco was gradually adding kindling and logs to the fire. 

“Okay, so heads up, everyone,” Oliver said to the group. “My parents invited some friends over so they might come down. This usually results in a fair amount of awkwardness and forced WASPy propriety, so please forgive us in advance. Thea can vouch.”

“Can I ever,” Oliver’s little sister replied, while Roy chuckled knowingly beside her. 

“Hey gang,” Eddie greeted, arriving just after Oliver had given his warning. 

“Eddie!” Felicity replied kindly. “You’re looking chipper today.”

“I am,” he beamed. 

“What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“Just came from a dance lesson at my uncle’s resort,” he said, shuffling his feet like a tap dancer. 

“Lookout!” Linda exclaimed. “Thawne’s got moves.”

“It was really fun,” he laughed. 

“Looks like it,” Iris said, watching him step.

“Let me show you,” Eddie said, jovially, reaching for her before she knew what was happening. With a swift movement, he pulled her up out of her chair. She laughed as he twirled her around, pulled her into his chest and then swung her out again. The others chuckled, whooped and cat-called them as Eddie continued to lead her around the fire. 

He gave her one final spin, dipping her suddenly. The others clapped. She giggled. 

Eddie was a surprisingly good dancer. He was also smiling at her in a strange way, while he held her low in his arms.

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” He asked quietly. 

Iris didn’t know what to say. She was surprised to say the least. First, he was asking her out for coffee. Now, he was trying to sweep her off her feet. 

Then, Eddie mistook the lack of expression on her face for breathlessness, and in that instant he lowered his head and pecked her on the mouth.

Iris started. “Eddie,” she said, pushing him away.

“I’m sorry,” he tried to laugh off her rejection. “I just got carried away,” he said turning towards the group with a bright smile. 

Iris looked at her friends. Everyone looked a little startled. 

No one more so than the lean form of Barry, who’d just walked down to the circle. 

As Iris caught his eye, her chest flooded with dread. He tried to smile nonchalantly, but his eyes were flitting up and down in uncertainty, and his mouth was pulled tight. Iris knew disappointment when she saw it.

“B-Barry,” she stuttered.

At the sound of his name, the group turned sequentially to greet him, alternating hugs and firm pats on the back. 

“Good to see you, buddy,” Oliver said with a forceful clap to the shoulder blade. 

Unable to move or do anything, all Iris could do was absorb the reproachful gaze that seemed to punctuate every strained smile he gave to their friends in greeting. Finally, she remembered how to use her feet and circled the firepit to go to him. “You’re back,” she said, breathlessly.

“Yeah,” he said dryly. His body language was closed off as he shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided making eye contact with her. 

Iris felt like crying. This wasn’t how she imagined their reunion would go. “It’s good to see you,” she said tentatively.

He clenched his jaw and looked down at his feet with a small nod.

“Iris?” She turned her head up the lawn to see Nora Allen approaching. 

She was holding the arm of a tall, broad shouldered, square-jawed man. He was the kind of man who struck you as handsome no matter how old he was. Judging by his age and proximity to Nora, Iris guessed that this was Barry’s father. Upon closer inspection, he looked steely and slightly uncomfortable.

Behind them were Oliver’s parents, another couple she didn’t recognize, and a blonde man in a yellow polo. He shared a striking resemblance with Eddie.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Nora said to Iris. “I know Barry is glad to see you, too, isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Iris thought she could hear the sound of her own heart cracking in two.  _ Oh God _ . 

Barry didn’t respond.

His father eyed him sternly. “Son, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“Dad,” he replied flatly, “This is Iris West.” His voice softened a little on her name, but Iris could tell he was hurt. “Iris, this is Henry.” The way he said his father’s name was especially flat. 

“What? Not ‘Dad’? Really, Barry. Your mother taught you better manners.” His father hardly acknowledged Iris despite the introduction. 

She tried to shake off the feeling of being slighted as Henry turned away.

Iris studied Barry’s eyes. They were glassy. She wasn’t sure what they were saying. It seemed to be a combination of  _ How could you? _ And  _ Help me, please. _ There was no way to know for sure when he was being so reserved. 

“‘Scuse me,” he said, turning and walking back up the lawn.

Iris looked back at her friends. They were all busy welcoming the adults to the bonfire. She took it as an opportunity to go after him. She followed him into the main lodge through a double glass door and found him looking into the wet bar fridge. 

“Barry?”

“What’s up, Iris?” He asked nonchalantly, before pulling out a can of Coke. He cracked it open and took a sip. 

“I didn’t know Eddie was going to do that,” she blurted out. 

“Do what?”

He was pretending not to care, she was sure of it. 

“I didn’t know he was going to kiss me.”

He blinked like he had no idea what she was talking about. “Okay.” 

“Okay?” 

He shrugged and shook his head. “What?”

“That’s all you want to say?”

“What do you want me to say?” He asked with another shrug.

“I --” What  _ did _ she want him to say? Maybe he didn’t care. Maybe he didn’t like her. Maybe he was just being weird because his dad was around. There was obvious tension between them. 

“You can kiss whoever you want,” he said, brushing by her and going back out the patio door. 

Iris closed her eyes in his wake, her heart sinking down to the ground. 

It took her a long time to compose herself. She didn’t want to go back out to the fire with tears in her eyes so she stayed rooted until she was sure the urge to cry had passed. 

Unfortunately, when she returned to the bonfire she found the adults were having their own drama. Off to the side, the man in yellow and Henry seemed to be having an argument. 

“Really, Henry, what sort of man do you think I am?” 

“The sort of man that hits on another man’s wife while he’s out of town.”

Within earshot, Barry was sitting with his mom. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. He was also staring daggers across the fire at Eddie, who was just as mortified watching the scene unfold. 

“Henry, that’s not what happened, and this isn’t the time or the place,” Nora said kindly, but sternly. 

Moira Queen was doing her best to distract the rest of her family’s guests from the drama unfolding.

“Henry,” the man in yellow was saying, “Offering Nora and Barry a place to stay for the summer was a gesture of friendship. I just wanted to make sure they had a nice summer.”

“By taking them away from me?” Henry shot back

The longer Iris watched, the more she wished she could go back in time a few moments before Barry arrived at the bonfire. She wouldn’t have let Eddie pull her into a dance. She wouldn’t have let him kiss her. Then, maybe, she could be sitting beside Barry, squeezing his hand reassuringly while he listened to his parents’ quarrel. 

There was something simmering in his eyes, like green lava, bubbling beneath the surface. Finally, he snapped. 

Barry leapt to his feet, and wheeled around on his father, “Yeah, well, maybe if you were around more it wouldn’t be so easy to leave town and not notice a difference!” He shouted. 

Henry looked stunned. 

A hush fell over the gathering. Barry stormed through the adults and back up the lawn, passing Iris as he went. She looked to Linda, asking,  _ What do I do?  _ with her eyes. Linda waved her hand, motioning that Iris should follow him. 

Iris turned on a heel and raced after him. He was disappearing around to the front of the lodge. Iris followed him as quickly as she could. She found him sitting on the front steps. His shoulders were hunched as he cradled his face in his hands and rested his elbows on his knees.

“Barry?”

He didn’t answer. 

She sat beside him, giving him a little space. If he asked her to go, she would. 

He didn’t.

Instead, he sucked in a heavy, jagged breath that didn’t sound like a breath at all. Iris looked over to see that he was crying. 

“Oh Bear,” she said, wrapping an arm around him. 

He was reluctant at first, his body rigid beneath her embrace. But then he softened, turning his head into her shoulder. She squeezed him tighter. He cried silently. Iris just held him.

“I’m sorry,” Iris said, over and over again as she rubbed his arm. She didn’t say what for, but she meant for the way his parents were fighting, and for the way their reunion had been muddled. None of it was supposed to be like this. 

Iris didn’t know how long they stayed like that, embracing one another. Eventually, Nora came around the corner of the lodge in search of her son. Her face softened when she found them. “Barry? Your father and I think it’s time to go home.”

He lifted his head from Iris’ shoulder and wiped the tears emphatically from his cheeks.

Across the driveway, Iris spotted Henry going straight for their car. 

“Thank you, Iris,” Nora said warmly. “Seems like we still have a lot to work through as a family.”

Iris shook her head slightly. “It’s okay.”

Barry stood up from the steps and started meandering slowly towards the car. He took his time, not wanting to be alone with his father if he could help it. 

“I know Barry appreciates your friendship a great deal,” Nora told Iris, after Barry had walked off. “He speaks of you often.”

Iris nodded. This news should have made her feel warm, but somehow it left her feeling dull. She hoped he would still appreciate her friendship after this evening’s fiasco.

The day after the bonfire, Iris sent Barry a text.

_ Are you okay? _

He never responded. 

She gave it a couple of days before she started to worry. Maybe he was focusing on family time.

But soon the silence became too much, and she could no longer ignore the ache she felt in her chest. She wanted to send him another message, but what would she say? If he didn’t want to respond to the first one, would he respond to another?

She found herself wandering down the marina after her shift ended at 3 o’clock. She hoped Cisco would be there. If he wasn’t, she could just pretend that she was looking for her brother. 

Her eyes drifted to the windows of the  _ Soda Shoppe _ as she passed. She wondered if she would see Barry there, but it was only Felicity working behind the counter. Her friend spotted her and waved. Iris returned the greeting and kept walking. 

When she arrived at the pier, Harry was outfront with Wally, working on a boat engine that needed repair. “Wallace, pass me that combination wrench.” Harry said, holding out his hand and making a gimme gesture. 

Wally passed him the tool, and then looked up as Iris approached. “Hey sis,” He greeted her. “What are you doing here?”

“I just thought I’d check in,” Iris said. “Make sure you’re behaving yourself,” she added when Wally gave her a skeptical look. 

She noticed Cisco walk by with a bucket in his hand. He turned the corner at the back of the marina, heading for the gas pumps. 

“I’ll be right back,” Iris said to her brother. She followed Cisco around the corner.

Cisco was crouched at one of the pumps. He was starting to wipe down the chrome rims when Iris approached him. 

“Hey Cisco,” she said.

“Iris! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Just visiting my brother,” she said, stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her jean shorts. “Thought I’d come say hello while I’m here.”

Cisco looked up at her, his expression vaguely unconvinced. 

She leaned back on another pump while he continued working. “Have you talked to Barry recently?” She asked after a brief silence. 

Cisco stopped what he was doing and tossed the rag back into the bucket. “Nuh uh,” he said emphatically, standing up. “Not doing this.”

“What?” Iris asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

“You said you didn’t want Cisco’s help.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she pretended. “He just looked upset the other night, and I want to make sure he was okay.”

“So why don’t you ask him?” Cisco rebuked. 

Iris shuffled her feet. “I did. He didn’t reply.”

Cisco knelt down again, reached for the cloth and resumed his work. “I wouldn’t take it personally,” Cisco said. “He always gets a little closed off when his dad is around.”

“Things aren’t very good between them, are they?” Iris asked.

Cisco shrugged. “To be honest, he doesn’t really talk about it much. Henry’s always been kind of an asshole, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“He thinks everyone and everything is beneath him.”

“I guess that would make for an awkward father-son relationship,” Iris thought aloud.

“Just give him time,” Cisco counselled. “Barry never broods for long.”

She nodded. “Thanks, Cisco.”

“You’re welcome.”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out to see a text from Felicity.

_ Where did you go? _ Felicity texted Iris.  _ Come for ice cream _ .

_ OK,  _ Iris wrote back to Felicity.

She said goodbye to Cisco, her brother, and Harry, then headed back to the  _ Soda Shoppe _ . Inside, she sat at the counter beside Oliver, who was hanging around waiting for Felicity to finish work.

Felicity served Iris a heaping scoop of mint chip. Iris tucked into it like it was the last ice cream she’d ever eat.

“Have you talked to him?” Felicity asked, leaning over the counter. 

Iris shook her head and spooned another mouthful. 

“Barry will come around,” Oliver said. “Maybe you two just need to be put into close proximity again, so you can remember how much fun you have together.”

“Maybe,” she moped.

Felicity clapped her hands together, then snapped her fingers. “We should go camping!”

Oliver looked up at her with a smile on his face. “That’s true, we haven’t been yet this summer.”

“And nothing says romance like being stuck out in the woods with your potential love interest and eight of your closest friends,” Felicity said with a grin.

“You just want an excuse to have a party, don’t you?” Oliver smirked at his girlfriend.

Felicity smiled wryly back. “Maybe.”

“I haven’t been camping in years,” Iris admitted. 

“That’s okay,” Felicity assured her. “I’m sure someone has a tent you can share. Do you have a sleeping bag?”

Iris thought about it. Somewhere, she was sure she had one. It was probably still in a box, leftover from their move. “I think so.”

“That settles it, then.” Felicity declared. “This Friday. We’ll pick you up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Barry.


	9. The Camping Trip

As promised, Felicity and Oliver picked Iris up on Friday. Iris’ parents reluctantly agreed to let her go, only finally consenting when Oliver pointed out that the campsite was still within cell range, and it was just a one night trip.

After leaving the West’s house, they picked up Linda. She brought a tent with her that she and Iris could share. 

They drove off towards Lake Tranquil, hanging a left onto the road that passed Thawne’s Place and wrapped around the lake. As they zipped by the resort, a little red chevy pulled out behind them. 

“Hey,” Oliver said, looking in the rearview mirror. “Is that Barry behind us?”

Iris was torn between wanting to look and wanting to sink down in her seat and hide. The former desire was too overwhelming. She and Linda craned their necks around to see through the rear windshield. Sure enough, it was Barry driving the little red coupe.

“Guess you can’t tease him about not having his license anymore,” Felicity said, peering into the side mirror.

Oliver smirked. “Guess not.”

The two cars drove along in tandem, pressing forward along the road until it turned into a dirt path. A brown state park sign with yellow lettering marked their arrival into the camp. 

As dusk fell, Oliver pulled into a gravel parking spot, just outside a wooded enclave. Barry pulled up beside the porsche and parked. 

Iris fiddled with her seatbelt, trying to avoid any accidental eye contact.

“What’s this?” Oliver smiled at Barry as they all clambered out of the car. He took a walk around the red chevy, inspecting it.

“An apology,” Barry grimaced, “From my dad. And I guess a reward for getting my license,” Barry continued as he went around to the trunk. 

“Atta boy,” Oliver smiled, clutching Barry’s shoulders on either side of his neck. Barry grinned sheepishly in reply.

“I wish my Dad would buy me a car every time he apologized for something,” Linda remarked. 

Barry glanced sideways at her. “No, you don’t,” he said, reaching for a small tent bag and his backpack before closing the trunk again.

Linda shrugged it off awkwardly.

Iris was torn between wanting to hug him, wanting to hide and wanting him to ravish her in the backseat of his new wheels. She blinked away this last thought when Oliver popped the trunk of the Cayenne.

They grabbed their things and followed Oliver down a little path into the woods that led away from the parking lot. After a short hike, the path flattened out into a glen with a firepit and a campstove. Beyond the trees, the shores of Lake Tranquil lapped gently at a rocky beach. There were clear, flattened squares cut out of the brush where their other friends, having arrived earlier, were setting up tents. 

“Yo, Ollie, we left you that one,” Cisco called, pointing to the most remote of the clearings.

“Thanks,” Ollie smiled, leading Felicity towards it.

“You’re welcome,” Cisco replied. “Don’t let me hear any hanky panky coming from over there.”

“No promises,” Felicity insinuated over her shoulder as she jogged after her boyfriend.

“Dibs on this one,” Linda said, dropping her tent bag into a remaining spot, just a little way back from the firepit. 

Barry silently headed for a spot slightly uphill. 

“All right,” Linda declared, opening the tent bag. “I’m gonna need your help, Iris.”

Iris tried to help as best she could, but Linda’s tent was old and Iris was sure there must have been poles missing. It just wouldn’t seem to fit together.

“Have you done this before?” She asked Linda.

“Sure I have,” Linda protested. “With my dad. When I was like… eight.”

“Do you guys need a hand?” Eddie asked, after watching them wrangling with it for some time.

Iris flinched a little, nervous around him after their last interaction.

“No thanks, Eddie,” Linda declined. “We’re perfectly capable.”

“Not saying you aren’t,” Eddie clarified, squatting beside one corner. “But this kind of tent is easier to set up with more hands on deck.”

Linda looked up from the stake she’d just kicked into the ground, and blew a lock of hair out of her face. “All right, Thawne,” she huffed. “Show us what you’ve got.”

“First, it’s best if we stretch it out and lay it flat,” he suggested.

Iris stood back while Eddie and Linda grappled with the tent. She was unable to stop herself from glancing up at Barry every once in a while. He had his back to them and seemed to be getting on just fine with his little two-person A-frame.

Iris accidentally looked for too long and caught his eye when he turned around to throw the tarp over his tent. He blinked sadly at her, just as Eddie tried to involve her by showing her how to fit the poles into the corner brackets. Iris’ gut wrenched. She hated how this looked. She wanted Eddie to go away.

“There,” Eddie announced. “You’re all set.”

“Thanks, Eddie,” Linda said, as she unzipped the front opening and threw in their sleeping bags and backpacks.

“Hey, Iris?” Eddie said, as Linda disappeared inside.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about the other day,” he said sheepishly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Iris thought he looked honestly remorseful, and she appreciated the apology. “Thanks for that, Eddie.”

She turned away from him and climbed into the tent after Linda. Her friend was already rolling out her sleeping bag, so Iris did the same. 

When they were all set up, they re-emerged from the shelter. People were starting to gather around the firepit. Cisco had brought his guitar and was strumming a refrain, while Diggle reached into a large cooler and pulled out a can of beer. “You want one?” He asked Iris when she sat down on a log bench beside him. 

“Sure,” she said, taking his offer. She cracked the can open and took a sip.

Slowly, the others joined them. Thea came over and went to help herself to the cooler, but Oliver grabbed her hand and shook his finger, “Not after last weekend,” he warned, alluding to some incident that Iris had clearly missed.

“ _Ollie_ ,” she moaned, “I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“But you’re still my kid sister,” he replied. 

She rolled her eyes, huffed and went back to Roy who wrapped his arm around her.

Cisco was playing more purposefully now, plucking out harmonious arpeggios. Caitlin hummed a few “Oohs” alongside him as though she knew the song. With a start, he slapped the strings and fingered out a rhythmic melody across the frets. 

_Hot sand on toes,_ he sang, _cold sand in sleeping bags_

_I’ve come to know that memories_

_Were the best things you ever had_

_The summer shone, beat down on bony backs_

_So far from home where the ocean stood_

_Down dust and pine cone tracks_

“God, he’s so sexy,” Linda murmured in Iris’ ear as he played. Iris chuckled under her breath at her friend.

From behind Cisco, Barry stepped over the log bench. He sat down on the ground next to his friend and stretched his long legs out in front of him on the ground. He rested his head back on the seat to look up into the sky. Iris looked up, too. The first stars of the night were starting to appear.

 _We slept like dogs_ , Cisco continued, _down by the fireside_

_Awoke to the fog where all around us_

_The boom of summer time_

When Iris looked back at Barry, he was mouthing the words along with Cisco. She smiled as she listened. It was nice music, so fitting for where they were.

_And we stood_

_Steady as the stars in the woods_

_So happy-hearted and the warmth_

_Rang true inside these bones_

_As the old pine fell we sang…_

_Just to bless the morning_

Things might have been strained between her and Barry, but she took a moment to appreciate where she was, in this beautiful place surrounded by new friends who’d shown her a whole other way of living in a quiet town. In fact, it hardly seemed quiet anymore.

She supposed, like so much in life, that things were what you make of them. She resolved not to let anything get her down. She was going to enjoy the rest of the summer as much as she could, Barry or no Barry.

They sat around the fire, while Cisco played song after song. Sometimes they sang along. Sometimes they listened quietly. 

As beer cans dried up, Digg passed around refills, until they were all warm and fuzzy with the haze of an intoxicated glow. 

Eventually, Iris found herself nodding off by the fire, lulled by the sound of the music and the stupor of her drink. Linda nudged her awake. “Hey, you can turn in if you want.”

She looked up around the circle. Oliver and Felicity had already disappeared. So had Thea and Roy. At least she wouldn’t be the first to turn in. 

“All right. Goodnight, everyone,” she said to the remaining few, catching Barry’s face for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but she thought his eyes went wide as she got up to leave.

She unzipped the front of her and Linda’s tent, then climbed inside. She changed into the sweatshirt and joggers she’d brought for sleeping, then snuggled down into her sleeping bag. She dozed off, falling into a dreamless sleep. 

It was short lived. 

She drifted back into consciousness an hour or two later at the sound of the tent being unzipped, and Linda's giggle as she stumbled inside. “I think she’s asleep,” Linda said aloud.

“Are you sure?” Asked another voice. 

“Yeah, c’mon it’s okay.”

The tent rocked a little as a second person entered the tent, and stumbled over Linda. There was hushed laughter and Iris realized the second person was Cisco. 

“How long have you been playing guitar for?” Linda asked.

“Since I was a kid,” Cisco answered.

“You’re so good with your hands,” Linda sibilated.

“Girl, you have no idea,” Cisco replied. 

Soon, the sloppy sound of kissing filled the tent.

 _Ew,_ Iris thought, suddenly wide awake.

Annoyed, exhausted, and still a little buzzed, Iris threw back the top of her sleeping bag and crawled towards the front door of their tent. She slipped on her sandals then zipped open the tent and crawled out. The lovebirds didn’t acknowledge her exit. 

“Seriously,” she muttered in exasperation as she stumbled forward into the dark. Whatever, she’d find another place to sleep.

In front of her, the fire pit was still simmering with an orange glow while a few remaining embers burned. It was deserted now, save for a lone, lean figure who was noodling Cisco’s guitar. She stepped forward to get a better look.

“Barry?” 

He stopped plucking the guitar and looked up at her as she approached. “Hi,” he said quietly. 

“I didn’t know you played,” she said softly, venturing to take a seat on the log next to him. 

He laughed quietly. “I don’t.”

She listened as he plucked the strings. The same three notes, over and over again. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

“I thought you turned in for the night?” He asked while he played. 

She shrugged. “I thought so, too, but it seems like Linda and Cisco had other plans.”

Barry’s eyes widened a little and he stopped playing for a second. “Oh. So that’s where he went.”

“Yep,” Iris sighed impatiently. 

A yawn escaped her involuntarily.

Barry plucked the same three notes over again.

“Aren’t you tired?” She asked.

He shook his head. “Can’t sleep.”

“How come?”

“Dunno.” 

He kept picking at the guitar. 

“What’s that from?” Iris asked. 

“Just something my mom and dad listen to sometimes,” he said. 

“Sounds kind of familiar.” 

“You… wanna hear it?” He asked hesitantly.

“Sure.”

He sat up a little straighter and adjusted the guitar in his hands. He started the three notes over again, sucked in a deep breath and began to sing softly. “ _Nobody on the road. Nobody on the beach. I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach. Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone. I’m driving by your house, don’t know, you’re not home.”_

Iris was stunned. Barry’s voice was incredible. It was somehow sweet and earnest, just like him. 

“ _I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun. You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby.”_

Iris’ stomach tightened. She knew this song. 

_“I can tell you my love for you will still be strong after the boys of summer have gone.”_

It felt like he was singing it just for her, but she was scared to let herself hope. She sank down off of the log and onto the soft dirt ground, listening intently, letting the sound of his voice wash over her as he played quietly, trying not to wake anyone who might have been sleeping.

“ _I_ _never will forget those nights,”_ he continued, his voice shaky now. “ _I wonder if it was a dream.”_

Iris closed her eyes and rested her head on her arm as she leaned sideways onto the log bench. This verse always gave her the feels. She let herself picture the story. She dared for a moment to picture her and Barry. 

“ _Remember how you made me crazy,”_ his voice fell to a whisper as he sang, “ _Remember how I made you scream. I don’t understand what happened to our love. But, baby, when I get you back, I’m gonna show you what I’m made of.”_

He paused.

Iris opened her eyes and lifted her head. 

He was watching her intently. Their eyes met for a moment, and Iris’ stomach fluttered. 

“You falling asleep?” he asked. 

Iris shook her head. “Just listening. I thought you said you didn’t play?”

He smirked a little as he set the guitar down into its case. “I don’t.”

“Sounded pretty good to me,” she smiled. 

He shrugged. “It’s an easy song.”

“It’s a nice song.” She stifled a yawn.

“You look exhausted.”

Iris rolled her eyes at him. “Thanks, Barry,” she said sarcastically.

“No -- I mean -- you look nice,” he looked down at his feet. “It’s just… I can tell you’re tired.”

Iris nodded her head and let it wobble from side to side. “Yeah, well. Guess I might as well try to get comfortable out here. Don’t think I’m going back to the love shack over there.” She pointed to the tent she and Linda were supposed to be sharing. It was wobbling suggestively, and not from the wind.

Barry chuckled under his breath. “Yeah. Guess not.” He clenched his hands together between his knees and stared into the fire.

Iris followed his gaze. The last of the embers were dwindling down and the cool night air was starting to creep in around them. They listened for a while to the faint chirp of crickets, and the lapping of the water at the lake shore. 

“You could take my tent,” Barry suggested, breaking the silence.

Iris blinked and looked up at him.

He motioned behind him to the little A-frame up the hill. 

“Are you sure?” She asked, turning her head to survey the portable shelter. “What are you going to do?” 

“I can stay out here. I’m not tired yet.”

“But you’ll get tired eventually,” Iris pointed out.

He shrugged. 

“I don’t mind,” Iris said. 

“Don’t mind if I get tired?” 

Iris reached over and gently slapped his knee. “If we share.”

His eyes met hers, locking on and piercing through the darkness. He didn’t say anything, just nodded. 

“Bedtime, then?” Iris suggested softly, surprised by the way her voice sounded as it came out of her mouth. It sounded unintentionally seductive.

Barry’s eyes widened. He managed to enunciate a, “K.”

He stood up from the log bench and grabbed a pail of water that had been filled earlier, tipping its contents over the remaining embers. The dying fire sizzled and hissed angrily as the last of the firelight disappeared, leaving them in total darkness. 

“Bear?” Iris whispered into the night.

“Yeah?”

“I can’t see.”

“Here.” She felt his hand reach out and catch her forearm. It slipped down to her wrist and tentatively gripped her hand. His skin was warm and trembling against hers. He tugged gently, leading her slowly towards his tent.

As her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, she could make out his outline in front of her. After a few steps, he crouched down to unzip the opening. 

Iris shuffled out of her sandals and crawled into the tent behind him. It was certainly cozy. Two-person might have been a generous definition. 

He fumbled around for a minute in the corners, and then suddenly everything was bright. He’d found a flashlight. “There,” he said. “That’s better.”

Iris looked at the large double sleeping bag spread out beneath them. It was big and cozy, lined with plaid flannel.

“It was my parents’ back in college,” he said as if reading her mind. “They road-tripped across the country one summer.”

Iris smiled. “Sounds romantic.”

In the dim light, she could see Barry blush. “I guess so,” he said as he rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. He was staring at the sleeping bag like it was some universal mystery that needed solving. “You can sleep under the covers… I’ll just…”

“Bear,” Iris said sternly. “It’s fine. I don’t mind sharing, so long as you’re not repulsed by it.” 

“Repulsed? No -- w-why would I be repulsed?”

Iris shrugged. “I don’t know, why have you been avoiding me?”

“I haven’t been --”

She fixed him with a silencing stare. 

“Okay,” he relented. “We can share. You can have the pillow.”

She nodded and pulled back the cover, scooching all the way over to the fold so that there was plenty of room for Barry. The ground was hard beneath her, but the sleeping bag was fleecy and warm. The pillow smelled like him. 

He cautiously crawled in beside her, making sure to keep an inch between them so that their bodies wouldn’t touch. Then he clicked off the flashlight and lay still beside her. 

Iris wasn’t sure if she should be amused or heartbroken. Was it really so terrible to be in close quarters with her? Her chest ached thinking about it. It had been agony waiting for him to return. Now he was here and they were together. Why did he feel so far away? Had she imagined it all? Maybe he never even liked her. Maybe all of those songs on the mix CD _were_ just friend songs. 

She found she couldn’t worry about it anymore. Sleep was calling. She closed her eyes and resolved to think it over in the morning. 

The grey dim light of dawn gently woke her. Outside of the tent, everything was quiet. 

In her sleep, Iris had curled onto her side. Her head was mere inches from Barry’s, who’d also rolled onto his side facing her. His expression was relaxed and peaceful, his lips hanging open just slightly as he breathed deeply. One of his arms was under his head, while the other was splayed over the top of the sleeping bag as if he’d been too hot in the night. 

He was still just as pretty as that first time Iris had seen him in the ice cream parlor. 

She watched him for a little while until he stirred and his eyes fluttered open. 

Self consciously, she ran a hand through her hair. It was probably a disaster. She pulled out her hair tie and re-tied her hair in a bun.

“Morning,” he whispered groggily.

“Morning,” she replied, as she settled her head back down on the pillow. 

“You sleep ok?”

She nodded. 

He was watching her carefully with those big dumb green eyes. How was it even fair that his lashes were so long? 

She wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure what. It was welling in her throat, but she wasn’t sure what the words were going to be. Then, before she could figure it out, she opened her mouth and said, “You stopped texting me.” 

Barry blinked. It felt like an eternity as she watched him process what she’d said. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of the tent. “I know,” he said softly. His tone sounded regretful.

A knot twisted in Iris’ stomach. So she hadn’t been imagining it. He was ignoring her. “So… you don’t want to talk anymore?” She asked.

He shook his head.

Iris’ stomach clenched.

“That’s not it,” he said, clarifying his gesture. 

Iris waited for him to say something more. He just sucked in a deep breath and sighed. 

There was something else going on that he wasn’t telling her. “What happened with your Mom and Dad?” She asked.

He blinked, trying to find words. “They’ve been fighting for a while.”

Iris nodded, listening patiently.

“She wants him to spend less time at work. He says it isn’t that easy, that people need him. He just doesn’t seem to get it. We’re his family. And whenever he _is_ around, he criticizes everything. I can’t do anything right. Then, this whole thing with Eddie’s uncle just feels… gross. I dunno. Mom says it isn’t what Dad thinks it is. He just gets so jealous whenever anyone so much as looks at her. I didn’t understand why until…” he trailed off, his thought hanging in the air.

“Until what?” She could guess what it was that he was going to say, but she wanted to hear it from his mouth. If he was jealous, then there had to be a reason for it.

He wasn’t ready to answer, so she tried a different tactic.

“I miss you,” she ventured. It felt like a risk. She was all but telling him how she felt. 

“I miss you, too.” He whispered it so softly she wasn’t even sure she’d heard him correctly. But then he rolled back onto his side towards her and they locked eyes. His hand trailed up over the sleeping bag and found hers beneath the cover. He touched his fingers tentatively to hers.

She replied by stretching out her hand and lacing their fingers together. She curled them into a tight fist. It felt nice to be with him, to be alone together, to be holding his hand. His skin was warm and comforting against hers and she wanted to hold onto him forever. 

“It’s hard,” he said finally.

“What is?” Iris asked, wishing they would stop talking in circles. 

He rubbed his thumb over hers, blinking thoughtfully. “You’re here. I’m in Central City.”

Iris’ heart sank. If only her stupid parents hadn’t brought them to this stupid town. She hated it. Then again, maybe hate was a strong word. If they hadn’t come here, she’d never have met Barry in the first place. “It’s too bad we didn’t know each other when I was still living there,” she said sadly.

He nodded. “We would have been good friends.”

She smiled. “Best friends.”

“You’re practically my best friend now,” Barry confided. 

She felt like she should be elated by this declaration, but something held her back. “What about Cisco? Or Oliver?”

He shook his head slightly. “It’s all fun and games with Cisco. Partying with Oliver. It’s easier to talk to you.”

Iris nodded.

“I don’t want to ruin it,” he said. 

There was a knot forming in her throat. He was letting her down easily. That was that, then. He’d never liked her. It was all just in her head. All those times she thought he was flirting, or thought he was going to kiss her, that stupid mixtape... he was just being careless with her feelings. A hot rush of anger pumped through her. She drew her hand away and rolled onto her back. “Okay,” she said, staring up at the slanted ceiling of the tent. “If that’s what you want.”

Out of the corner of her eye she could see his brows knit, like he was thinking hard. 

“It’s not what I want,” he said, his voice a little firmer. “There’ve been so many times I wanted to tell you…”

Iris turned her head to look at him. “Tell me what?” She asked, her voice wobbling in her throat. “Barry, please, I don’t understand.”

He shifted his body towards her a little, reached across her waist and pulled her flush against him. His eyes searched hers momentarily, waiting for her to ask him what he was doing, or to ask him to stop. When she didn’t, he bent his head and slanted his mouth down onto hers. 

Iris’ eyes fluttered shut as she focused on the sensation of their lips pressed together. The kiss was firm, and his lips were sweet. She’d waited forever for this. How could she be sure it was real? 

She touched a hand to his cheek. The skin was warm and soft. She threaded her fingers around the back of his neck and up into his hairline. He hummed a little. 

She wanted more.

She moved her lips and he followed. Her tongue slipped forward, tasting the softness of his mouth while her lips caught the fine stubble of his morning shadow. He responded with his whole body, clutching her waist fervently in his palm. He inched his weight against her as she relaxed back into the pillow and the hard ground. Her arms reached up around his neck and pulled him in closer. His tongue met hers. 

So this was what it was like to kiss Barry Allen. 

It was wonderful. She didn’t want it to end. But it had to. 

He lifted his head slightly, his eyes searching hers. His cheeks and lips were flushed. 

“I like you, Iris,” he said, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers. 

Her cheeks warmed. He _did_ like her. “I like you, too, Bear.”

He nodded. “I know. I’ve known for a while.”

She felt her face contract in confusion. 

“Cisco told me,” he explained, holding his head up a little.

Her heart raced in her chest, embarrassment rushing through her veins. She was going to kill Cisco. “You knew?”

He nodded shyly.

Iris pushed him off of her, and scooched into a seated position. The sleeping bag peeled back over Barry as he sat up. 

“But… you were avoiding me.” She said.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t -- I didn’t know what to do,” he stammered. “I was so excited to get back and then I saw Eddie kiss you and I thought maybe when I was away --”

“But, I told you… I didn’t know he was going to do that,” Iris repeated.

“I know,” Barry said. “I know, I just… saw red.”

“Why didn’t you talk to me?” She asked, her throat constricting in anguish.

“Because I didn’t want to know if I was _losing_ you,” he emphasized. 

Iris shook her head in confusion. “Why would you be losing me?”

“Because. Maybe you forgot about me.”

“I didn’t forget about you. I could never forget you.”

His eyes widened, full of hope and conflict. He was still working something out. “Still…” he said. “I don’t know, Iris. Maybe we get into this. But what about when summer ends? What happens when I go home?”

Iris’ mouth gaped. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. Hot tears were stinging the sides of her eyes. “I don’t know. But you’ve got your license now, and eventually I’ll get mine and then…”

“Are your parents really going to let you drive to the city to see your boyfriend?” He asked.

Iris swallowed. _Boyfriend_. That’s what she wanted. 

“Is that what you are to me?” She asked, hopefully.

His mouth evened out into a thin line. He looked like he was summoning all of his courage. “I want to be,” he said.

She laughed in relief, a warm tear threading down her cheek. “Then be that,” she pleaded, reaching for his hand. He opened his palm as she threaded her fingers between his. 

“And when the summer is over?” He asked again.

She shook her head, trying to tell him not to worry. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We’ll figure it out.”

He nodded. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“I am,” Iris replied.

His eyes were searching hers once more, looking at her intensely as the morning sun beat down into the tent. “Can I kiss you again?” He asked.

She laughed through her tears. “Yes, Barry Allen, you can kiss me.”

He launched forward into her, capturing her lips eagerly with his. It was different this time: less pained, more enthusiastic. Barry was practically vibrating with excitement as their lips played gently together. 

With one hand he held her jaw, kissing her passionately, nodding his nose against her cheek and willing her to melt into his embrace.

He inched his body towards her. She leaned back towards the ground. With his other hand he grasped her waist and shifted over her, pressing urgently into her with his whole body. 

Iris was overwhelmed by the bliss of it all. She trailed her fingers up into his hair, tugging slightly at the strands of chestnut as his mouth opened against hers. Their tongues danced tentatively, eager for the warmth and heat of each other, surprised by the sensations and the pleasure. 

They basked in the glow of the warming morning sun, happy to share in each other while the campsite was still quiet. When they grew too warm, Barry reached for the hem of her sweatshirt and pulled it up over head, leaving only her thin tank top beneath. He cradled her, thankful to be rid of an unnecessary layer between them.

As much as they could have gone on the whole day that way, just kissing and kissing and kissing, it wasn’t to last. Eventually, the tell tale sounds of the others waking up and getting out of their tents disturbed the peace. 

They ignored it at first, until Linda’s panicked voice carried across the campsite, calling, “Iris? Iris! Has anyone seen Iris?”

Barry broke from her lips, nuzzling her nose, then her cheek and finally her neck as they listened to her friend call. 

“I should go out there,” Iris murmured, while he captured the skin of her neck between his lips softly. “She might think I drowned or something.”

“Yeah,” he rasped regretfully. He shifted off of her, adjusting his pants as he went. 

The curious part of her wanted to know more about why he needed to do that. The practical part of her knew she needed to heed Linda’s call.

She pulled her sweatshirt back on, sucked in a deep breath and prepared to exit Barry’s tent. She really hoped there weren’t too many people around. Linda alone would have a million questions. It was better to get it over with, so she quickly unzipped the opening and stumbled out into the open air. 

Linda was standing by the fire pit, calling her name. To her dismay, pretty much everyone else was there, too.

“I’m here,” Iris announced meekly, her voice cracking.

Their friends fell silent as they turned to look at her. By the looks on their faces she felt like she’d just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Linda’s mouth dropped open. Eddie looked like he’d seen a ghost. Felicity seemed to be the only one smiling.

With perfect timing, Barry stumbled out of the tent behind her. He’d somehow managed to roll up the sleeping bag and pack it away in record time. “Hey guys,” he said cheerfully, as if there was nothing to be concerned about. “Time to head back, huh?” His hair was sticking up at odd angles, which Iris was sure would only fuel the imagination of their friends.

“Oh-yeah,” Oliver replied with a knowing grin, coming to his senses. “We were just going to start packing it up.”

Linda was staring at Iris with a look that said, _I need to be told everything on the car ride home!_

Iris looked away shyly, watching Barry as he pulled the last of his things out of the tent: his flashlight, some bug spray, a baseball cap and shoes. 

“Can I help?” Iris asked, as she watched him go for the tent stakes.

“Yeah, sure,” he said. He showed her how to unpin them, then how to fold up the tiny tent so that it fit back perfectly in its impossibly small bag. She was grateful for the task, which helped her avoid any awkward questions. 

“I’d better grab my things,” she said when they were finished. Linda and Cisco were similarly dismantling their loveshack, and had thrown her backpack unceremoniously to the side. 

“Can I drive you home?” Barry asked as he finished stuffing his belongings into his bag. There was a sense of urgency in voice, like he wasn’t ready to say goodbye. 

Iris nodded, happy to have the chance to spend more time together. She turned and headed towards Linda, Cisco and her bag. 

“I’m going to get a ride home with Barry,” she said shortly, grabbing her bag and not allowing any time for Linda to ask questions. She turned on her heel and made her way back over to him. 

“Okay!” Linda called after her. “I’ll call you!”

“Sure!” Iris called back over her shoulder.

Barry grabbed her hand and led her out of the clearing, and up the path to the parking lot. She smiled as she followed him. Butterflies were flitting in her stomach as she thought of all the good things to come between them. He _liked_ her. And she liked him. What was more than that, he was going to be her boyfriend.

When they finally reached the car, he popped the trunk, took her bag and threw it in the back. Iris smiled at him as he pulled it closed. He grabbed her by the waist, pulled her against the car and kissed her fiercely, pressing against her until they were both breathless and warm.

“We should get out of here before the others find us,” she suggested. 

He nodded, pressing his forehead into hers for a moment before letting go.

He took her around the side of the car and opened the passenger door for her. She slid inside. Moments later, he hopped in the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. As he did, his _Panic! at the Disco_ CD blared to life. He instinctively reached for the volume to turn it down, but Iris placed her hand on his and said, “I like this song.”

He leaned across the console, inviting her in for another kiss with a wry smirk. She held his jaw as their lips met. She slid her tongue into his mouth, eager to consume all the affection for which she’d been waiting so anxiously. Their mouths melded hungrily. 

When they finally broke apart, he wrapped his hand over the back of her seat, twisting to look behind them as he backed out of the parking spot. 

They drove up the country highway and back to town in comfortable silence. Across the centre console, her hand found his and held on firmly. Iris rolled down her window. She let the fresh morning air breeze past her face as he drove on and listened contentedly to the music. 

_In the middle of summer, all was golden in the sky..._

When they pulled up to the West house, Iris was surprised to see her father sitting out on the front porch, reading the newspaper while drinking his morning coffee. She turned to Barry who had also noticed her father’s presence. 

“I’d kiss you,” she said, releasing his hand, “But I’d be afraid he’d arrest you.”

Barry laughed nervously and smiled. “It’s okay. I understand. Can I see you again soon?” His request was urgent and earnest. 

Iris nodded. “Tomorrow? I work ‘til 6 but after --”

“I’ll pick you up,” he beamed.

“Okay,” she said, not wanting to move. She knew she was going to have to get out of the car, but the last thing she wanted to do was say goodbye. “See you then, Barry.”

“See you, Iris,” he replied, with a look that said it was just as hard on him to part ways. 

Finally, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. He popped the trunk and she grabbed her bag, then headed for the porch steps.

“Good morning,” her father greeted her. “You have a good time?”

“Yeah,” Iris sighed. “Oliver slept late so, Barry drove me home.” She figured it was better to be proactive with her explanation of why the same person wasn’t returning her in the morning. A little fib wouldn’t hurt.

“That was nice of Barry,” Joe said dryly. He watched hawkishly as Barry drove away. 

“Yeah, it was,” Iris replied casually.

Joe nodded slowly. “Are we going to be seeing more of Barry?”

Iris took a seat beside her father. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“He’s going to take me out after work tomorrow.” 

Joe examined his daughter. “Okay,” he said passively. “Make sure he has you home at a decent hour.”

Iris nodded and kissed her father on the cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”

She grinned a wide beaming grin and slipped inside the house. 

Unbeknownst to her, Joe allowed himself to smile before turning his attention back to reading the latest news out of Summerville, USA. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs mentioned in this chapter are:  
> 1\. Old Pine - Ben Howard  
> 2\. Boys of Summer - Don Henley  
> 3\. a reprise of: When the Day Met the Night - Panic! at the Disco


	10. The Lookout

When Iris finished work the next day, Barry was waiting for her outside. He’d parked his little red chevy across the street and was leaning against it, looking cool and relaxed with his hands in his pockets. He waved at her when she spotted him.

Iris giggled as she crossed the road. “Haven’t I seen this in a movie?” 

“Maybe,” he grinned as he reached for her hips. He pulled her in for a brief but sweet kiss.

“Where are we headed?” She asked.

“It’s a surprise,” he beamed. “Hop in.”

They piled into the car. He peeled out of the parking spot and drove up the road leading out of town. 

“You sure you won’t tell me where we’re going?” Iris asked after they’d been driving for a while. 

He flicked his turn signal on. “You’ll see soon enough,” he smiled. 

The car slowed and they pulled left across the country highway, onto a road leading up one side of an ancient, weathered down mountain. Speckled golden light danced over the car as they pressed forward beneath the thick green canopy winding up the mountainside.

For all the time she’d been here, Iris had never really investigated any of the mountains. She’d heard from people at school that there were troops of hikers that aimed to climb all forty summits, but she’d never been on such an adventure. Maybe that’s where Barry was taking her. She hoped she had on the right shoes for this.

He pulled up to a small parking lot, surrounded by trees. The only other car belonged to a family of four, who looked like they were just packing up and getting ready to leave. 

“Are we going for a hike?” Iris asked inquisitively.

“Not really,” Barry answered as he turned off the engine. “C’mon.”

He went to the trunk while Iris got out of the car. Barry nodded hello to the family. 

“Better hurry,” the dad said. “The lookout closes at dusk.”

“We’ll be quick,” Barry promised, grabbing his backpack and a small cooler bag from the boot. 

He grabbed Iris’ hand and led her to a path in the trees surrounding the parking lot. “Don’t worry,” he said, when she looked at him quizzically. “Closing time is just a suggestion.”

“Are you sure?” She asked, as she followed him down the path. “Aren’t there like, bears and stuff out here?”

“I have bear spray,” he said casually. 

“That does not make me feel any better.”

“I thought you said bears were snuggly?” He grinned back at her.

“Only one kind of Bear,” she explained.

“Is that right?” He asked, pulling aside a pine branch in front of them.

Iris’ jaw dropped. “That’s… right.”

The path opened up onto a smooth granite surface, devoid of any trees. They were standing on a sizable outcrop, looking down into a valley where two mountains cradled a long, thin lake. The sun was hanging perfectly between the two ridges, casting a golden glow over everything. The vista took her breath away.

“Do you like it?” Barry asked.

“It’s… beautiful,” she replied.

He led her down to a flat part of the rock. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a picnic blanket, flinging it open so that it settled on the ground. “I brought some sandwiches,” he said, opening the cooler and taking out a couple of ham and cheese croissants.

Iris smirked. They weren’t quite as neatly made as Nora Allen’s sandwiches, but she suspected Nora may have supervised. She peered into the cooler. There were also a couple of apple juice boxes. 

“Oh,” he laughed. “Mom put those in there,” he admitted, confirming her suspicion. 

“That was nice of her,” Iris said.

“Yeah,” he blushed.

They ate quietly, taking in the vista while the sun slowly sank behind the mountain to their right. 

“Have your Mom and Dad worked things out?” She asked.

Barry thought about it. “I don’t know. He went back to the city after the weekend. Mom doesn’t let on what she’s feeling.”

Iris nodded.

“Do your parents ever fight?” He asked. 

“Of course,” Iris replied. “They did a lot before we moved. They were worried about my dad’s work and how dangerous the city was getting.”

“And now?” Barry asked.

Iris hadn’t really considered it. She’d been so busy being miserable about the move that she hadn’t realized that her parents were in a better place in their relationship. “Not as much,” she admitted.

“They seem happy,” he said.

“I think they are,” she agreed.

“When I grow up and get married, I want to be happy,” he said pensively. 

Iris smiled warmly. “You will be.”

He nodded. “For a long time, I didn’t think it was possible. I thought I’d end up repeating all the same mistakes as my parents. Dad just always assumed I’d become a surgeon like him, but I don’t want his life. He’s been mad at me ever since I told him I don’t want to go to med school.”

“I can imagine it’s hard to step out of the shadow of your parents and do your own thing,” Iris observed. “He should let you be your own person.”

“Yeah. Though... lately I haven’t been as worried about it.”

“No?”

“No,” he smiled. “I’ve been starting to feel that things might turn out all right.”

“Yeah?” Iris grinned. “And why’s that?”

“Dunno,” he smirked, leaning forward into her space. “Might have something to do with this girl I met.”

“Oh yeah?” She met him halfway. 

“Yeah.”

“Do I know her?” Iris joked as their faces neared.

But Barry wasn’t in the mood for joking. He closed the space between them and kissed her slowly, passionately.

In the west, the light was turning red and purple behind the mountain. A warm summer breeze caressed the leaves of the surrounding trees. To Iris’ ears, it sounded like gentle applause for the affection they shared. 

Barry was a good kisser, naturally neat about it until their tongues met. Then, he seemed to lose all sense of decorum. He hummed a little into her mouth, like it pained him somehow but was still enjoyable. He reached up to hold her cheeks in his hands, and Iris revelled in how safe it felt to kiss him. 

Warmth spread throughout her body, and she found herself tugging his t-shirt and pulling him across her as she reclined, laying back on the hard rock of the outcrop, softened only by the picnic blanket. His hand threaded around her waist as he leaned his chest over hers. They were careful not to push too far too fast. Still, they tried to savour all the contact they could get. 

It was easy to get lost in each other, to not notice the creeping darkness or the stars starting to appear. It was only when the distant sounds of crickets chirping echoed up from the valley below that they emerged from their own little universe. 

Gently, Barry lifted his head, after Iris pulled at his lips for one quick, last kiss. 

“Guess we should head back,” he suggested, sitting up. 

“Yeah,” she agreed reluctantly.

It was hard to leave, but they knew they couldn’t stay. They’d both be in trouble if they weren’t home by a reasonable hour. Resignedly, they packed up the remnants of their picnic and the blanket. Barry lit up the flashlight on his phone and led Iris back up the path to the parking lot. 

“This was a really nice evening,” Iris told him as they reached the car.

He popped the trunk with a smile and tossed in his backpack and the cooler. “I’m glad you liked it,” he replied, again pulling her in by the hips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss. “Can we do this again, soon?” She asked, parting from him briefly. 

“Tomorrow?” He asked, pecking her again. 

She nodded as she accepted more kisses.

“And the day after,” Iris whispered.

“And the day after that,” Barry replied. 

They kept their promises. Iris texted Barry the next day. 

_ Do you want to come over tonight?  _ She asked.

_ Yeah :),  _ came his reply.  _ I’m not done work until 7:30. Can I come then? _

_ Sure. See you soon :) _ .

When the time neared, Iris waited like an anxious puppy at the front window, peering out and straining her neck now and again to see if his red Chevy was approaching.

“Waiting for someone?” Her dad asked, leaning back in his armchair from where he was watching the ball game. 

“Barry was going to drop by on his way home from work,” Iris said, trying to keep her voice casual.

“Didn’t you two just see each other yesterday?” 

“Yeah, but... you know.” Iris shrugged.

“No,” Joe disagreed. “I don’t know.” 

Iris huffed impatiently. “It’s not a big deal, we’re just going to hang out for a bit.”

“You know,” Joe began, “Sometimes when two people who like each other hang out regularly… we call that dating.”

“ _ Dad _ ,” Iris protested in her voice that said,  _ I don’t want to talk about it _ .

“I’m just saying,” Joe replied, turning back to the television.

She was saved from having to discuss it further when Barry’s car finally pulled into the driveway. She bounded up from her seat by the window and scurried to the door to meet him. He greeted her with a big smile, looking a little shy as he entered her family home.

“Hi,” he said happily as he stepped across the threshold.

“Hi,” Iris beamed back, closing the door behind him.

They stood there looking at each other with dopey grins on their faces until Francine passed between them on her way out of the kitchen.

“Barry,” she observed cheerfully. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hi, Mrs. West,” he replied politely as she passed.

She nodded and continued on her way to the living room to join her husband.

Iris took the opportunity to grab Barry by the wrist. “C’mon,” she said. She led him up the stairs, which they climbed buoyantly, two at a time, stumbling into Iris’ bedroom as quickly as they could without making too much noise. 

Iris closed the door behind her, careful to ensure it didn’t click. She didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that she had a boy in her room with the door closed. When she turned back to face him, he was looking around her room like it was some long remembered place from his past to which he yearned to return. 

She inched forward into his space and threaded her arms around his waist. “Hi,” she repeated their greeting from downstairs. This time it was was warmer, less shy.

“Hi,” he said breathlessly, batting his eyelashes as he looked down at her. 

Butterflies flitted in her stomach. She couldn’t resist any longer. She pressed up on her tip toes and kissed his lips softly, pulling at the top one, then the bottom as his soft mouth melded with hers. 

“What was that for?” He asked, his expression half dazed as she pulled away. 

“I just missed you,” she said.

He grinned at her. “I missed you, too.”

He reached out for her hand and threaded their fingers together, then pulled towards her as she took a seat on her bed.

They sat cross-legged, facing each other, blushing and smiling. He seemed hesitant to continue, until Iris leaned forward and again caught his lips with hers. 

She just couldn’t stop kissing him. He was like candy that she couldn’t get enough of. Soon, she was leaning forward and he was pulling her back with a hand up in her hair. She followed him all the way down to the mattress while he held her face. 

“You’re a good kisser,” she said quietly against his lips.

He smiled. “So are you.” 

“Have you had a lot of practice or are you just talented?” She teased him.

“I’m pretty talented,” he bragged, albeit humbly, “But also a little practice.” 

A tiny bell rang in the back of Iris’ mind as he kissed her again. There was something else she wanted to know.

“Have you, like… done it before, then?” Iris asked.

Barry avoided eye contact with her and nervously raked a hand up through his hair. “Um yeah,” he replied. “Yeah, I have.”

“Oh,” Iris breathed, shifting her weight back. She wasn’t judging, it just wasn’t the answer she was expecting. She wouldn’t have guessed that.

“Yeah, just with like… a couple girls from school,” he shrugged.

“Oh,” Iris repeated, tracing a circle with her finger on his t-shirt.

“Why?” Barry asked, tilting his chin to look at her. “Haven’t you?”

Iris kept looking a the soft fabric of his t-shirt. “Um, no. I haven’t.”

“Oh,” Barry replied in surprise. “Really? I thought…”

Iris raised her eyebrows. “What?”

“You’re just so…”

“So what?”

“You’re so pretty. I just thought, y’know, if the opportunity had presented itself… you’d probably would have…”

Iris shook her head. “The opportunity hasn’t presented itself.”

Barry looked puzzled and conflicted. “Right.” Then he laughed humorlessly. “Me neither.”

Iris felt her brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… I haven’t. I wasn’t... telling the truth. There were no girls at school. I mean, there were girls… just not girls that I…” He was positively twitching.

Iris smiled and put a finger to his lips, then leaned over to silence him with a sweet peck. “Why didn’t you just say so?” She asked, puzzled. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to lie. You don’t think it’s lame?” 

“Why would I ever think that?”

Barry shrugged. “I dunno. Seems like all the guys have. Oliver, Digg, Cisco…”

“First of all,” Iris began, “Oliver and Digg are older. Secondly, I don’t believe Cisco has for a second.”

“What about last weekend with Linda?”

Iris thought about it. “Okay, maybe. But that doesn’t mean you should have already, if the right time hasn’t come around.” 

“So… are you like… waiting?” He asked tentatively.

“Not forever,” Iris said. “Just until it feels right.”

Barry nodded and looked thoughtful. “When do you think that might be?”

Iris rolled her eyes, smiled and rested her head down on his shoulder. “Depends.”

“...On?”

“This guy I’m seeing,” she said with a smirk, retracing another circle on his chest.

“Oh,” he breathed, blinking up at the ceiling.

“Mhmm,” Iris hummed, pressing another kiss to his lips.

His hands circled around her back and drew her closer. She inched her weight over him. 

In no time at all they’d lost themselves again in their own little universe. They stayed there for as long as they could, happily floating through a blissful cosmos of their own making. 


	11. The Long Drive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for your lovely comments.
> 
>  **Heads up, I've upped the rating to M**. Part of the reason these last couple of chapters were taking so long was because I was trying to keep it from getting too sexy too fast 😅. Somehow these two always get away from me.
> 
> So, if you don't mind that, enjoy the next couple of chapters. If that's not your thing, it was good to have you with us.

The day after, Barry picked Iris up after her morning shift at work and took her back to Thawne’s Place. They swam in the resort’s bay, avoiding the horseplaying children while frolicking in their own antics. They took turns splashing and tackling each other into the water. It was the type of thinly disguised cavorting that was really just an excuse to touch and grab at bits of unclothed skin, normally covered. 

Iris felt hyper aware every time Barry touched her. Sometimes he grabbed her by the sides to tickle her. Sometimes he lifted her with one arm under her knees and another under her shoulders. He’d boost her out of the water before flinging her around and tossing her back into the bath-like lake. She’d laugh and jump on his back, bringing him down with her as they both plunged into the water.

When they tired, they sought refuge from the noisy beach on a quiet corner of the resort’s dock. It was obstructed from the view of the cabins by the main inn and several large juniper bushes. Pleased with their seclusion, they stretched out their towels beside one another and lay, giggling and panting in the sun, waiting for the afternoon heat to dry out their suits. 

Iris lay over her beach towel on her tummy, her face turned to Barry. He rolled towards her on his side, a grin stretched wide across his face. Tiny beads of water glistened over his skin, shimmering in summer light. He tentatively placed a hand on the small of her back. His fingers were cool and damp against her skin, but the touch caused a wave of heat to surge down Iris’ spine. She gave him a relaxed smile and closed her eyes. The distant sounds of children playing in the water, mixed with the steadily buzzing hum of cicadas made it all seem hazy and dreamlike. 

She dozed in and out of sleep, half focused on his touch, content to be present and wishing the afternoon could go on forever. 

The peace was disturbed only by the quiet rumble of Barry’s stomach.

Iris cracked open an eye and looked at him. “Are you hungry?”

“A little,” he admitted.

“Do you want to go in?” She asked.

“Okay,” he replied.

They picked up their towels from the dock and headed back over to the cabin where he and Nora were staying. The tiny front porch was deserted, but they soon spotted Barry’s mom inside. She appeared to be getting ready to go out, packing her wallet into her purse. 

“Hey Mom,” he said, as the screen door swung shut behind them.

“Hey Bear. Hi, Iris,” she replied with a smile as she went to the counter to grab her phone.

“You heading out?” Barry asked, watching her as she crossed the living space and grabbed a leather folder. 

“Just for a bit. I need to drop off a cheque for the contractors at the cottage,” she explained. “Should only be a little while. There’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry.” 

Barry nodded. 

“You two okay for a bit?” She asked, pausing and surveying them gently. Iris knew she was asking if they’d behave themselves, but there was no ounce of judgment in her choice of words.

Iris liked Nora. There was always a gentleness and kindness about her. She trusted them to be good to one another.

“Yeah,” Barry replied. “We’re good. Just going to fix something to eat.”

Nora smiled and nodded. “All right. Well, I have my phone if you need anything.” She kissed her son on the cheek and touched Iris’ shoulder softly as she passed. “I’ll be home soon.”

“‘K,” Barry replied. “See you in a bit.”

There was a pregnant pause as the screen door swung shut behind Nora. Barry and Iris stood there staring at each other for a moment, both aware that they were alone, both unsure what to do about it. The only thing Iris knew for sure was that her swimsuit was starting to get uncomfortable. 

“I was thinking I might get changed,” Iris said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, of course,” Barry replied, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. “You can, uh -- change in my room, if you want?”

“Thanks,” she replied, grabbing her knapsack from beside the front door and heading for Barry’s room. “What about you?” 

“Me?”

“Do you…” She started slowly. “Want to change, too?” 

The blood seemed to drain from Barry’s face, but his expression was hopeful. “I should... shouldn’t I?” 

Iris smiled flirtatiously and beckoned him into the room. He followed, closing the door softly behind him as if he was afraid of being caught. 

She pulled her shorts and t-shirt out of her bag, while Barry went to his dresser. He was careful to avoid looking at her in an attempt to give her some privacy.

When she was satisfied that he wasn’t looking, she turned around and quickly changed out of her bikini bottoms and into fresh undies before pulling on her shorts. When she was finished, she turned and looked across the humbly furnished room. 

The quickest flash of pale skin was disappearing beneath the waistband of his boxers. A hot rush of blood flooded up Iris’ chest and neck at the sight. 

Sensing her gaze, he turned towards her.

With a hint of seductive intent, Iris grabbed her t-shirt from the bed and held it carefully to her chest. “Would you help me?” She asked, turning her back to him and motioning to the bows tied behind her neck and under her shoulder blades. She could very well get them herself, but that wouldn’t have been much fun, now would it?

“Okay,” Barry replied hoarsely as he approached her.

She held her hair up and away from her neck. A slow tug unravelled the bow. 

Barry ghosted his fingers down her spine to the next tie. His breath fanned over the crook of her neck as he stepped closer. He bent his head and placed a slow kiss on her shoulder just as he pulled at the strings. 

Iris continued to hold her t-shirt protectively in place. Internally, she warred with herself. Did she want to show him? The primal part of her said yes. Decorum told her it was way too soon. But the more time they spent together, the more natural it felt to want to show him things she’d never shown anyone before. 

Barry was entranced, still placing soft kisses against her skin. It was kindling a fire in her abdomen. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her softly against his body. His skin met hers as his chest touched her bare back. He radiated a warmth that Iris just wanted to sink into. It felt nice. 

His arms tightened their hold on her ever so gently. His breath panted gingerly against her neck. 

“Barry?” Iris asked.

“Yeah?” 

“Is this okay?”

“Hell yeah,” he breathed.

She laughed quietly, twisting around in his arms, letting her shirt and bikini top slip to the floor between them. She reached her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a searing kiss. If the feel of him against her back had been nice, it was nothing compared to the feel of her chest against his with nothing in between. 

His hands were roaming exploratively up her back and between her shoulder blades, then grazing suggestively at the sides of her breasts as they returned to her hips. She whimpered softly at the brush of his hands on her sensitive skin. 

“Can I… ?” Barry asked, as his hands migrated north for a second time. 

“Yeah,” she breathed into his mouth as his tongue caught hers in a heated dance. 

He cupped the edges lightly in a palm, testing what it felt like. 

A soft noise of approval sounded in the back of Iris’ throat.

He took it as permission to cover her breast entirely. With his other hand, he pulled her hips flush against his, holding on by the small of her back, the tips of his fingers dipping just below the waistband of her shorts. 

An intense warmth was growing between Iris’ legs. It was heightened by the friction against Barry’s upper thigh, which he was slowly edging forward, seeking more contact. Soon, she was surprised by something else: the feel of something long and hard rubbing against her leg. All of this kissing with their tops off had made Barry fully erect.

_ Oh God, _ Iris thought briefly as he shuffled her towards the bed, encouraging her to lie back,  _ I’m in trouble _ . 

He hovered over her as she went willingly. It felt so nice to kiss him, to feel his skin, to rub against one another. But something was holding her back. 

“Barry?”

“Yeah?”

“I -- do you -- maybe we should slow down.”

He lifted his head from her neck where he was sucking softly at her tender flesh. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were dark. There was a part of Iris that just wanted to say, “Screw it,” and keep going, but she knew she’d made the right decision when he nodded and shifted off of her to sit on the edge of the bed. 

“Your mom said she’d only be a little while,” she explained.

“Yeah,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. 

“I’m sorry,” Iris said, covering herself with her arms.

He shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize.”

She ducked behind him to reach for her t-shirt on the floor, pulling it over her head before she sat up again. “Are you okay?” She asked, watching him as he breathed deeply.

He was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. “Me? Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Just need to… calm down a bit.”

She scooched up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. He patted her hands where they folded across his chest and rubbed his thumb lightly over her forearm. 

“I should get dressed,” he said softly after a while.

Iris nodded into his shoulder. She knew he was right, but it was hard to let go of him. Somehow, she found the will. 

He went back to his dresser and grabbed a pair of shorts and t-shirt. 

Iris watched as he pulled them on, curious about the fading bulge tenting his pants.

“C’mon,” he said cheerfully, waving his hands towards the kitchen. “Let’s get something to eat.”

It was starting to become clear that this thing between them was surging forward with an uncontrollable heat. 

For a couple of days they didn’t see each other, kept apart by opposite shifts at work and Joe’s desire to entertain the Captain at a family dinner. It was torture. 

Iris kept daydreaming about past makeouts. Except, in her mind they never ended where they had in real life. In her mind, she explored new activities that they could try. Wow, did she ever want to try them. 

The only problem was privacy. When would they ever have a moment alone to just be together and not have to worry about their parents walking in on them?

Finally, as the weekend neared and they were both scheduled for the last shift of the day, they figured out a time to see each other. Iris promised she’d swing by the ice cream parlor after closing. Then Barry would come over to her house for a while. They wouldn’t be totally alone, but her parents hadn’t said anything so far about Barry’s visits, so she figured it wasn’t a problem. 

She watched the clock, counting down to the end of her shift. Lyla had agreed to close up for the night, which meant that Iris could leave right at close. She practically raced down the street to the  _ Soda Shoppe _ , pulling open the antique screen door with vigour when she arrived. 

Her mood instantly lifted as she stepped across the threshold into the warm light of the ice cream parlor, adorned with all its kitschy memorabilia. Behind the counter, serving the last few customers of the evening, was Barry. He looked just as pretty as ever.

She sat on a chrome stool by the wood counter and watched, smiling as he ran the last orders through the register. 

“I remember the first time I saw you here,” she said to him when he turned to her. 

“Oh yeah?” He grinned.

“Yeah,” she beamed back. “I thought you were very cute.”

She didn’t think it was possible for him to smile any wider, but he proved her wrong, laughing as he ducked his head humbly at her compliment.

“I may have given you the nickname  _ Pretty _ in my head,” she admitted, crossing her arms and leaning forward over the counter.

He met her halfway, edging forward for a kiss. “That’s funny,” he said as he neared. “Because I remember that day, too. I thought you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen in my life.”

Iris giggled. “Really?”

“Mhmm,” he confirmed as he closed the gap and planted one on her.

She reached up to touch his cheek, holding his face as he kissed her.

“I just have to close up,” he said softly. “Then I’ll drive you home?”

“Sounds great,” Iris smiled.

“You want a heaping scoop of mint chocolate chip? On the house.”

“If you insist.” She feigned a sigh, like it would be a real burden to accept his proposal.

He smiled and grabbed a waffle cone, heaping as much ice cream into it as he could, then handed it to her gingerly. 

She waited for him patiently, content to lick the cone while she watched him sweep the floor and finish washing the used scoops. She admired the expression of concentration that crossed his face while he worked on closing the till. 

Finally, when Iris had finished her ice cream and the only thing left for Barry to do was turn off the lights and lock up, they headed out the door to his car. It was parked around back via a laneway that exited onto Maple. They followed the lane out to the road, then took a right on Main Street. 

Iris knew it wouldn’t be long before they were pulling into her driveway. Something was bubbling inside her. She didn’t want to go home.

Barry was starting to slow the car as they approached  _ River Bend _ . 

“Hey Bear?” Iris said urgently.

“Yeah? What’s up?” He glanced sideways at her in concern.

“Keep driving,” she said authoritatively.

He looked at her again with questioning eyes, but obeyed her request. He sped past the house and headed out of town. “Did you want to go to mine, instead?” 

Iris shook her head. “No.”

“Okay,” he replied, confusion in his voice. “Where then?”

“I don’t know,” she said with uncertainty. “Is there somewhere we can go?”

“What did you have in mind?” He asked, pensively. 

Iris fidgeted in the passenger seat. “Just somewhere we can be alone,” she said dreamily.

He eyed her a little in surprise. “Are your parents going to wonder where you are?”

“Let me worry about that,” she replied.

He nodded and drove on, a concentrated look crossing his face as he followed the country highway. At a crossroad, he took a left down a laneway that bordered a state park, pressing forward deeper into the forest until the lane finally ended unceremoniously. The spot seemed overgrown, and Iris wondered why the lane was there at all until she noticed a weathered looking sign for a trailhead.

Barry turned off the engine and took the key out of the ignition, dropping it into the cup holder. They sat quietly for a moment until the lights in the car faded. Their eyes were left to adjust to the darkness. 

“How did you know this was here?” Iris asked, wondrously.

He gave a little laugh. “Believe it or not, my dad and I used to come here when I was a kid. That trail leads to a springfed lake with good fishing. Haven’t been here in… years.” He peered out of the window into the darkness, evaluating how much it had changed since he’d last visited.

“Why did you stop going?” Iris asked.

Barry shrugged. “Dad got too busy to come up in the summer. Fishing isn’t really Mom’s thing, so… just never really thought to come back here until now.”

She nodded. 

“What’s up, anyway?” He asked. “Why didn’t you want to go home?”

Iris unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. Her eyes flitted over his face as he followed suit, unbuckling his seatbelt, too.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the other day,” she said confessionally. 

“Which day?” He asked, a smirk trailing up from the edges of his mouth.

“The one where we were in your room,” she said softly.

“Yeah?” He asked with a smile. 

“Yeah,” she smiled back. “I was thinking how… it might be nice if we could try that without having to worry about interruptions.”

Barry nodded, a faint ‘yeah’ on his lips as he leaned towards her. Iris mirrored his advance, kissing him sweetly across the center console. She wanted to get closer, but it was hard given the obstruction. She broke from his lips and eyed the backseat. His beach towel and swimsuit were thrown haphazardly in the back, like he might need them at any given moment. 

“Should we move?” She asked, batting her eyelashes a little as she nodded towards the backseat.

Barry turned his head to look, too. “It’s pretty small back there,” he said, skeptically. He looked to his left and right, then pulled a lever below him and pushed his seat at the way back. “Why don’t you come over here?” He suggested.

“Okay,” Iris agreed, climbing out of her seat and attempting, somewhat ungracefully to make it to his. It wasn’t like she had a tendency for clumsiness. It’s just that fooling around in a car isn’t as easy as it looks. So it was no surprise that in her efforts, she bumped her head on the ceiling, accidentally honked the horn and bruised her knees in the process.

At some point, it became clear that they needed more room. Barry reached down to his left beside the seat and pulled the lever. With their combined weight, the seat fell all the way back with a thunk. Iris flopped forward unceremoniously, her chest colliding with his as she dropped into him.

“Oof,” he laughed, as the breath was knocked out of him. 

“Sorry,” she grimaced, propping herself up. “In my head that was sexier.”

He smiled up at her, his hands grazing her thighs which had finally found their place on either side of him. “It’s still sexy,” he breathed, his voice low as he rested his head back on the headrest.

Iris smiled and leaned forward over him, her hair falling like a curtain from the side of her face. 

The kiss that followed was heated. It made Iris feel feverish, aided by the sensation of her pelvis on Barry’s. She’d never really been this close with anyone before. 

He ran his hands up the sides of her thighs, grasping with increasing pressure as he inched towards the hem of her shorts, kissing her all the while. He gripped at her hips, pulling her against him. When they couldn’t get any closer he released his hold, only to repeat the motion immediately, missing the sensation. He tried this over and over again, until she found herself rolling her hips without his encouragement, slowly, rhythmically. They kissed, their tongues intertwining. 

Barry’s hands were slowly inching up her sides, cautiously approaching her breasts over her t-shirt. He cupped her gently on either side, then squeezed softly.

“Is this weird?” Iris asked, briefly coming up for air.

“What? No,” Barry assured her, capturing her lips again. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Why do you think its weird?” He asked, hardly moving his lips from hers.

Iris shrugged. “I dunno,” she said. “I’ve just never really done this before. Am I crushing you when I…?” She rolled her hips for effect. 

He shook his head. “Not at all. It feels nice.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” He craned his neck, trying to kiss her again. 

“You’re not lying?”

“Iris… would you like to see how much I am not lying right now?”

Iris blinked. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? “Oh -- okay.”

“Oh,” he breathed. “I didn’t think you were going to say yes.”

“I mean, if you’re offering,” she explained, “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Really?” His eyes widened in the darkness.

She bit her lip and nodded. 

“Okay,” he said. 

She sat back on his lap a little as he undid the top button of his shorts. 

Iris’ cheeks warmed as she watched him unveil the now obvious bulge in his boxers. Her breath hitched a little in her throat. She’d never actually seen one before. Was she ready? Yet, even as she asked herself this, her hands were reaching out automatically to caress the skin of his navel. 

She slipped a finger beneath the waistband then slid her hand underneath. She wasn’t entirely sure what she’d find, but she wasn’t displeased by what she did. His shaft was hard, but the skin was soft. She carefully wrapped her hand around him as his breath hitched in his throat. She pulled gently, freeing him from his underwear.

The length was pale, swelling into a perfectly formed rosy tip. She ran her hands over him again, exploring the feel of it in her hand. “Is this okay?” She asked.

“Yeah,” he breathed, reaching up with his chin to kiss her as she stroked him. He hummed softly in response to her movements, bucking his hips as he edged into her hand. 

“Iris?” He asked after a few minutes. 

“Yeah?”

“I think… I think I’m going to…” He was trembling under her touch. 

Instinctively, Iris reached into the backseat to grab his beach towel. It was just in time, too. She covered him with it just as he finished, spilling and shuddering into the towel. She wrapped it up and tossed it into the back.

Despite the darkness, Iris could see that he was flushed and a little sweaty in the afterglow. She kissed his swollen lips. Somehow they’d turned even softer. He threaded his arms around her back and cuddled her needfully, placing his head against her chest.

He laughed quietly. 

“You okay?” She asked. 

“Yeah,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. “Felt nice.”

She giggled. “I see that.”

Her hips and knees were aching a little from the confined space. She shifted off of him back into the passenger seat.

Barry adjusted himself and put away his goods. “Wow,” he breathed, as he put his seat back into an upright position. “When you asked if I wanted to ‘hang out’ tonight, that wasn’t exactly what I was expecting,” He joked. 

Iris laughed. “I’m not sure it’s what I was expecting, either. But it’s okay, right?”

Barry turned to face her and leaned in for a kiss. “Of course it is. Is it okay with you?”

She nodded. “I want to make you feel good.”

He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. “You make me feel  _ so _ good. And not just in that way. Being with you. Iris…” He paused, looking down at their hands thoughtfully. “Is it too soon to say it?”

“Too soon to say what?” Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Barry squeezed her hand. “I think that… I love you, Iris.”

Iris blinked, processing. “This isn’t just the endorphins talking, is it? Because if you say that and you don’t mean it, I’m not sure I could handle it.”

Barry laughed humorlessly and shook his head. “It’s not just the endorphins.”

Iris nodded. Her mind was still digesting.  _ Love _ . He  _ loved _ her. 

“Are you, just going to leave me hanging here or …?” Barry asked, his eyes turning concerned.

“No! I mean, yes. Barry, I’ve been in love with you since the first moment I saw you,” she confessed.

The sides of his mouth twitched upward as his eyes crinkled in happiness. He leaned forward into her space and kissed her again. “So, that settles it,” he said quietly into her mouth. “We love each other.”

She nodded. “We do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Chapter title is a reference to the Jason Mraz song "Long Drive", which I used as inspiration for writing :)


	12. Stowaways

“All right, All right!  _ This _ is an intervention!” Linda proclaimed as she and Felicity barged into Iris’ room unannounced.

“Hey,” Iris said, slightly startled as she took her earbuds out of her ears. “What are you two doing here?”

“We’ve come to whisk you away,” Felicity said.

“Oh,” Iris replied. “Well, Barry was going to come over in a little bit. Can we rain check?”

“We figured as much,” Linda said, exchanging a knowing look with Felicity.

“What did you figure?” Iris asked, curious to know more about the unspoken communication happening between her two friends.

“We’ve hardly seen or heard from you in almost two weeks,” Linda said. “It’s not like you.”

Iris shrugged and put her phone down. “Barry and I were just trying to make the most of the rest of summer,” she explained.

“Uh-huh,” Linda replied skeptically. 

Felicity, on the other hand, was smiling mischievously. “So are you guys like, doing it every night?”

“No,” Iris balked. “We haven’t done it.”

Linda nudged Felicity, encouraging her to take it easy.

“What?” Felicity defended herself. “The sexual tension is palpable and I was  _ dying _ to know.”

“Iris!” Came her mother’s voice up the stairs. 

Iris clambered off of her bed and stuck her head out of her bedroom door. “Yeah, mom?”

“Barry’s here.”

She scrambled down the stairs as quickly as she could. 

Barry was standing just inside the front door with his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Hey,” he beamed at her. 

“Hey,” she replied, aware that Linda and Felicity were trailing behind her.

He looked up to see Iris’ entourage, confusion crossing his face. “Are we still hanging out tonight?” He asked.

“Definitely,” Iris replied. “Linda and Felicity were just leaving.”

“No we weren’t,” Felicity countered.

“Yeah,” Linda chimed in. “We just got here.” 

Barry’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Oh… well… we can all hang out,” he offered.

“That’s what we were thinking, exactly,” Felicity explained. “In fact, Oliver said he was game to have people over tonight if you and Iris are interested? We haven’t seen you two in  _ so _ long.”

Iris shifted her weight back and forth on her feet while Barry looked at her for approval. She wasn’t sure what to say. She’d been looking forward to their time together, but Linda and Felicity were right. They’d been kind of awol from the group.

“Come on Iris,” Linda pleaded.

Just then, Joe sauntered between them, making his way from the living room to the kitchen across the front hall. “I think it sounds like a great idea,” he said as he passed.

“You do?” Iris asked in surprised. 

“Sure. You two have been spending a lot of time together,” he pointed back and forth between Iris and Barry. “Time to see the rest of your friends.”

Barry swallowed, looking a little nervous as Joe examined him closely. “Yes, sir,” he replied, obediently.

There wasn’t much Iris could do to argue. Her father usually grumbled when she asked to go out with her friends. It wasn’t like him to be encouraging. 

Felicity clapped her hands together happily. “Great!” She exclaimed. “Guessing you don’t mind if we all ride with you, Barry?”

“No,” he said, a little stunned. “Not at all.”

It was a typical night in the bunkie at the Queen estate: beers and beer pong, the Summer Hits Spotify playlist playing in the background. 

Felicity and Linda cornered Iris on the couch, trying to get more information about what she and Barry had been up to the last few weeks. As they chatted, Iris kept looking through the window to the front porch. Barry was perched on the railing sipping from a bottle of beer and chatting with Cisco. Every so often, their eyes met. They’d smile at each other and let the looks linger until their respective conversations drew their attention away again. 

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Iris told her friends.

“Why not?” Linda pressed. “Is he a bad kisser?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“So he’s a good kisser. He looks like he’d be a good kisser,” she concluded. “Cisco is kind of sloppy.”

“Yeah, let’s talk more about you and Cisco,” Iris deflected. “What’s going on there?”

“Nuh-uh, don’t change the subject,” Felicity urged. “I want to hear more about West-Allen.”

“West-Allen?” Iris asked.

“Yeah. That’d be your ship name if you guys were in a YA novel.”

Iris laughed. “You guys, it’s just private. That’s all.”

“So things are going well?” Felicity raised her eyebrows knowingly over the frame of her glasses. 

“Things are good,” Iris confirmed. “That’s all you need to know.”

Thankfully, Iris was relieved from the inquisition when Oliver called Felicity to join him in a game of beer pong against Thea and Roy. It was the perfect opportunity for Iris to escape. 

“I’m going to get another drink,” Iris said to Linda.

“K,” Linda responded. “I’ll be here.”

Iris nodded and climbed off of the couch, heading out of the screen door to the porch where the cooler was located. Barry and Cisco eyed her as she crossed the deck. She opened the lid and casually helped herself to another bottle.

“Hey Iris,” Cisco said.

“Hey Cisco,” she replied with a nonchalant smile. She knew he was inviting her into their conversation, but Iris had other plans. She turned and walked down the porch steps and out onto the lawn of the Queen estate, hoping Barry would follow her.

She knew her plan was working when she heard him say behind her, “I’ll catch up with you later, all right?” 

“Okay man,” Cisco replied.

Iris heard their bottles clink in a soft cheers behind her. 

Iris kept wandering forward across the lawn, heading for the lake. The soft patter of Barry’s footsteps eventually caught up with her. She slowed her pace, allowing him to thread his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder. “Where you headed?” He asked, pecking her neck softly.

“Just thought I’d take a walk,” she replied coyly.

“Can I come?” 

“If you like.” 

She pulled his hand with a smile and led him behind her. 

Ahead, perched on the water’s edge was the Queen’s boathouse. Like everything else on the estate, it was gigantic. It would have to be, Iris reflected, to house their boat. 

Barry looked discreetly over his shoulder, making sure no one was watching as they disappeared underneath an archway, across the inner dock and alongside the cabin cruiser. 

“That was a fun day when we went cliff jumping,” Iris remarked, stepping onto the swimming platform at the stern. The boat bobbed gently under her steps.

Barry sipped the beer still in his hand and smiled. “Yeah, that was a great time.”

“I’d never been on a boat like this before,” she told him, looking back with a sly smile as she climbed up into the cockpit. 

“No?” He asked, following her.

“Nope,” she continued as she walked over to the hatch to the lower deck. She set her beer down and lifted the door. “I couldn’t believe what was down here,” she continued, lowering herself down the ladder. 

Barry chuckled under his breath. She reached the floor, then looked up at him. He smiled and handed down their beers before beginning his own descent. 

“And here I thought we weren’t going to get any alone time this evening,” he joked as he hopped off the last step. 

Iris turned on the flashlight on her phone and smiled mischievously at him. She handed him his drink then took a sip of her own. She spied the door to the back cabin. This was the destination she had in mind.

Barry followed her as she headed for the door, flicking on the cabin light as they entered the room. “There,” he said, as a soft orange glow filled the room. “That’s better.”

“Much,” she agreed, switching off her phone light. She closed the cabin door behind them. “This locks, right?” 

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “Here.” He flicked a small lever on the pocket door and it clicked into place.

She set her beer down on a ledge, then took his drink from his hand and placed it beside hers. She smiled as she inched towards him, placing her hands on his hips and tilting her head up to kiss him. He responded with his hands on her cheeks, pulling her face into his as he savored the sweet embrace. 

She shuffled her feet backward, inching them towards the bed. He followed her willingly. When the back of her knees hit the edge of the mattress, she leaned back over it and beckoned to him to join her. She noticed the gentle sway of the boat in the water as she lay against the mattress. It was a soothing sensation.

“Sorry our plans were interrupted,” Iris told him as he crawled over her. 

He kissed her cheek. “They seem to be going all right to me,” he replied. 

She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his back. She wished they could always be like this together. 

In the back of her mind, the end of summer was looming. Soon, they wouldn’t be able to ignore it anymore. “I’m gonna miss you,” she said sadly. 

He paused and looked at her, silently rubbing his thumb against her chin.

“When you go home,” she added, in case it wasn’t clear.

He nodded. “I’ve been trying not to think about it,” he admitted. “Though, I asked my mom if we could visit each other some weekends. She said yes.”

Iris’ heart fluttered happily. That was nice of Nora. “Guess we just have to admit to my parents that we’re dating and see if they’ll agree.”

“Something tells me they have their suspicions,” he said, nuzzling her nose and capturing her lips. 

“But we’ve been so careful,” Iris protested, half-joking. She trailed her hand up his side, pulling up on his shirt as she did.

“Well, your dad  _ is  _ a detective,” Barry pointed out, sitting up to pull his shirt the rest of the way over his head. “Sometimes, he gives me these looks like if I hurt you he’s going to incarcerate me.”

“He’d have no grounds for imprisonment,” Iris told him, trailing a finger between his pecs as he lay back over her. 

“That’s true,” Barry smiled. “I’d never hurt you.” 

“I know,” Iris told him. “That’s what I love about you.”

He nodded and kissed her slowly. “I love you, too.”

Their legs threaded together as Barry relaxed his weight into her. Instinctively, he bucked his hips softly against hers. It made her feel all kinds of warm. 

Soon his hands were wandering up her shirt, pulling up the fabric as he went. Iris helped him remove her shirt and bra. He took in her bare chest with a mesmerized look on his face, before pulling her in, and cupping a breast in his hand. 

Iris arched her neck back as he played with her nipple. The more he toyed with the sensitive nub, the more sparks shot down her body, warming her core. 

“Hey, remember in the car?” He asked, his voice husky as he mouthed beneath her earlobe. 

“Yeah,” she giggled. “I remember.”

“Would you -- can I … return the favor?” He ran a palm down her front and slipped his fingers beneath the hem of her jean shorts.

“Yeah,” she agreed, breathless as his hand slipped further beneath her clothes. His touch was warm and impatient. It was hard to touch her the way he wanted to when her shorts were in the way. He sat up with a little huff and plucked open the button. 

Hot blood rushed through Iris’ veins. She could hardly believe half of the thoughts running through her head. First among them was an overwhelming desire to be completely naked in front of Barry Allen. It was exciting and scary all at once. Would he like the way her body looked? She tried not to overthink it as she helped him undo the rest of her fly. She shimmied out of her shorts and tossed them to the floor. 

“Should I…?” She pulled questioningly at the edges of her underwear.

“Yeah,” he breathed, hardly giving her a moment before he was peeling the cotton from her hips.

She held her breath as his eyes scanned over her naked body in the dim light of the cabin. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

She smiled and relaxed. He always made her feel desirable and attractive. Part of her knew she was, but she wasn’t free from self-doubt. It was easy to forget her insecurities when she was with Barry. How could she not feel like the most beautiful girl in the world when such a pretty face was looking at her like that?

He slid his palm up her thigh to her hip and grasped at her flesh. There was a nervousness in his touch like he wanted to go further, but was waiting for her permission. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered in his ear as he leaned over her again.

He kissed her and slipped his hand around to her front, caressing her while he mapped her body. A finger lightly parted her folds and caressed the nub of her clit. It felt nice. She rubbed gently into his hand, hooking her leg up around his hip to give him better access. His touch was gentle, sometimes uncertain, but electric nonetheless. 

“This okay?” He asked.

“Yeah,” she breathed, nodding into his neck.

Every sensation was heightened. Her body moved in an instinctive rhythm, responding to him with blood rushing through her veins. 

When curiosity got the better of him, he slipped a finger deeper into her folds until he was pressing into her. Iris’ mouth fell open in a quiet gasp. It was new and oh so good. 

He kissed her greedily as he worked in a slow and steady rhythm. She found herself whimpering involuntarily with every little push and pull. 

She was wet. She couldn’t help it. 

Barry didn’t seem to mind.

Something was building inside of her: a feeling of lightness that she wanted to hang onto and have more of. Her hips bucked against his hand, trying to get closer to him. 

“Barry?” His name fell off her lips.

“Yeah?” 

She wasn’t even sure what she was saying, but before she knew it the words, “Do you want to have sex with me?” were out of her mouth.

He stopped. “Like, now?”

Iris’ eyes popped open. “Um -- no, sorry, I didn’t mean now, I just meant like… soon?”

He blinked thoughtfully. “I mean… yeah... yeah, of course I do. It’s just… are you ready?”

Iris shrugged as he pulled away from her. “I think so.” 

He kissed her. “Are you… covered?” He asked. 

Iris nodded. “I’ve been on the pill for a while,” she explained. “Helps regulate my cycle.” 

He nodded back.

“Sorry for the TMI,” she laughed.

He shook his head. “It’s okay. Son of a doctor, remember? You can tell me stuff. I don’t mind.”

Iris carded a hand through his chestnut hair and studied his face. His cheeks were flushed from their activities.

“Where did you come from, Barry Allen?” She asked.

“Central City,” he joked.

She laughed, then thought a little more about what she’d said. “You should still get--”

“I have some,” he said before she could finish.

“Oh. You do?”

“Yeah. You know. Just in case.”

“Right.” She thought about it for a moment, then asked, “Can we… keep doing what we were doing?” 

“Yeah,” he answered, leaning over her and touching her again. 

She kissed him until he pressed her back into the mattress with his body and rubbed her with his hand. 

“Can I try something else?” He asked, his voice a low rasp.

“Okay.”

He propped himself up above her, then kissed a trail from her neck, down her chest, towards her navel. 

_ Oh _ , Iris thought, as she registered what it was he wanted. “Are you sure?” She asked out loud, a moment of panic flooding through her. 

“Pretty sure,” he teased, kissing below her belly button. “Is this okay?” 

“Yeah,” she replied. “As long as you don’t think it’s gross.”

“Not gross,” Barry replied just before he kissed her mound. 

“Oh,” she breathed as she felt the warm wetness of his tongue dart out against her sensitive skin. “Okay, then.”

He licked and sucked at her with surprising enthusiasm, parting her folds with his thumbs so he could go deeper.

“Have you… done this before?” Iris gasped, as she tried to relax. It felt so nice. 

He just shook his head a little, never breaking from his ministrations. The steady stroke of his tongue was heavenly. 

“Are you sure?” Iris asked again, unable to let it go.

He lifted his head and smiled. “Why?”

Iris fidgeted with the sheets under her hands. “Feels like you have.”

He just smirked and went back to work. 

His tongue was exploratory, if occasionally imprecise. Yet, as he pushed her thigh up at an angle so he could have better access, Iris couldn’t help thinking there was no way Barry was naturally this good at this. He was licking her so… purposefully.

Iris grasped the sheets, squeezing the fabric into her fists. Finally, her mind cleared and she let herself focus on the feeling of his mouth. 

There was that feeling of lightness again, except this time it was threatening to burst through her where they were connected. 

Happy little gasps and sighs were involuntarily falling from her lips. 

Barry murmured back small sounds of encouragement. 

She wasn’t sure how long they went on like this. She lost all concept of time until waves of pleasure rippled through her body, turning her nerves and muscles to jelly. 

Barry kissed the inside of her thigh, then worked his way back up her stomach. He wore a sly smile as he cuddled and kissed her. “Good?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Iris nodded. “You don’t mind?”

He shook his head, nuzzling her nose as he did. “I wanted to,” he reassured her. “Like, a lot.”

She smiled shyly. “Do you want me to…?” She palmed the bulge in his shorts suggestively.

Barry kissed her softly. “That would be nice,” he started, “But I think Ollie would kill me if I made a mess in here.”

Iris giggled. “Yeah, although it sounds like he and Felicity have probably --”

“Aw c’mon,” Barry protested. “Buzz kill.”

She laughed again. “Sorry. Just telling it like it is.”

“All right, well. Can I take you up on that another time? And by another time, I mean, as soon as possible.”

“Only if we can also repeat this evening’s activities,” Iris negotiated.

Barry grinned. “Deal.”

“Should we head back?” Iris asked, kissing him lightly on the nose.

“Probably,” he agreed. “They might come looking for us.”

Iris nodded and got up to collect her clothes. 

Sheepishly, they made their way back from the boathouse, trying their best not to draw attention to the fact that they’d been gone for over an hour as they rejoined the group. If the look Linda gave her was any indication, they weren’t fooling anyone.

Iris stuck close to Barry’s side for the rest of the night. It felt like there was a new and quiet understanding between them. He’d seen her naked after all. 

When it got late, Barry offered to drive the girls home.

Felicity opted to stay the night with Oliver. 

Linda accepted the drive.

“Where’d you two get to?” Linda asked as they piled into the car.

“What do you mean?” Iris feigned innocence. “We didn’t ‘get’ anywhere.”

“Uh-huh,” Linda replied. “You’re terrible liars.”

The tips of Barry’s ears went pink as he started the engine. Iris mused at how he could react so innocently when there was nothing innocent about what he’d done to her earlier. It made her feel warm just thinking about it.

After he dropped Linda off, there was silence in the car. 

“Hey, Iris?” Barry asked when he pulled into her driveway.

“Yeah, Bear?” 

“Would you… do you think you could ask your parents about weekends?”

Iris held his hand and nodded. “I will.”

He nodded and leaned across the center console to kiss her. He lingered for a moment until finally, it came time to say goodnight.


	13. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this chapter forever. It's still not quite right, but I don't want you guys to have to keep waiting.

There was an unusual silence at family dinner the next night. Or at least it seemed that way to Iris, who was trying to figure out a way to tell her parents that she and Barry had a special relationship.

She decided to wait until Wally disappeared into the kitchen for a second helping. It was easier when he wasn’t around.

“Mom? Dad?”

“Yes, baby girl?” Her father responded.

Iris set her fork down. “There’s something I need to tell you. And I don’t want you to be mad.”

Francine and Joe exchanged a concerned look across the table. They stopped eating and waited for their daughter to speak.

“What is it, Iris?” Francine asked softly.

Iris bit her lip nervously. They’d never expressly forbade her from dating. It was just implied. 

“Barry and I… well…”

Her father looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

She closed her eyes briefly, unable to look at him. “We’ve been kind of dating for the last little while,” she managed to get out.

There was silence in the room. She cracked an eye open and looked at her mother. Francine was smiling. She checked her father’s face. He also looked relieved, but his expression was otherwise unreadable. 

“Thank you for telling us, Iris,” her mother said, reaching across the table to pat her daughter’s hand. 

“You’re not mad?” Iris asked. 

Francine shook her head. “We had our suspicions.”

Her father nodded his head slightly, then picked up his fork and took another bite of his dinner.

“Okay, well, there’s something else then,” Iris said, deciding to take the momentum where she could. 

Her father coughed, choking slightly on the bite that he’d just taken.

“As you know,” Iris began. “There are only a couple weeks left of summer, and then Barry has to go back to Central City.”

Her mother was nodding along sympathetically. “Yes hon, I know that’s difficult.”

“What’s difficult?” Wally asked, returning from the kitchen with a full plate.

Francine turned to her son. “Wally dear, would you give us a minute. We’re just having a chat with your sister.”

Wally surveyed the situation. He arched an eyebrow. “Can I finish my dinner in front of the TV?” He asked, sensing an opportunity.

“Just this once,” Francine agreed.

Wally beamed and happily ducked out of the room. “Feel free to have chats more often, sis,” he called over his shoulder.

Joe was silent.

Iris didn’t like it.

“You were saying?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah. Um. Well, we were hoping that maybe, if I got my license, I could go to the city some weekends to see him? And maybe he could come here sometimes, too?”

Her parents exchanged another look across the table. She wished she knew what it was they were thinking. 

Francine looked thoughtful. “A long-distance relationship is a pretty big commitment for someone your age, Iris. Are you sure there’s no one at school you might want to date?”

Iris frowned. Of course they didn’t understand. “Mom, it’s not like I can just fall in love with anyone. Barry is special.”

“Love?” Her father asked, breaking his silence.

“Well… yeah,” Iris replied.

He ran his hands over his face. “Iris, you’re so young.” 

“I know, Dad. But I know what love is. I know because you and mom showed me. And I know that I love Barry.”

“Iris,” her mother cut in. “We think Barry is a very nice boy, but --”

“But what? You’d rather me date some dumb jock from school who just wants to get laid?”

Joe’s eyes practically popped out of his head at this suggestion. 

“ _But_ ,” Francine continued, “You’re asking if you can have sleepovers. Your father and I just need a little time to think about it. We want you to be focused on your future, not on boys. Senior year is an important time.”

Iris’ eyes fell into her lap. “I knew you wouldn’t understand."  
  
She pushed back from her seat and stormed off.

“Iris!” Her mother called after her. 

Iris ignored her, running up the stairs to her room and slamming her door. Tears were stinging the corners of her eyes. Why couldn’t they be happy for her?

She fumbled in her pocket for her phone and FaceTimed Barry.

He answered after a few rings. He was sitting on his bed in the cabin. “Hey, Iris,” he smiled. His grin faded when he saw her face. “What’s wrong?” he asked. 

All she could do was choke out a few tears. She buried her head in her elbow while she held onto her phone loosely.

“Iris? Are you okay? Do you want me to come over?” He asked.

She shook her head. How was she going to tell him? 

“I told my parents,” she managed to say.

“Oh,” he said, a look of recognition dawning on his face. “Didn’t go well?”

She shook her head again. “They think we’re too young for this kind of commitment.”

His brows knitted into a frustrated frown. “Well… I mean they can’t really stop me from driving out. I mean, what would they do if I just arrived on your doorstep?”

Iris laughed a little through her tears. “Leave you out in the cold, I guess.”

“I could stay nights at the new cottage,” he mused.

Iris nodded. “Is it going to be finished?”

He shrugged. “Finished enough, I think.”

Iris smiled softly. Leave it to Barry to find the silver lining. “Yeah,” she nodded. “That might work.”

“Hey, you never know. Maybe they’ll come around when they see we’re serious.”

“Maybe,” Iris said doubtfully.

“Chin up,” he replied brightly. “Hey, that gives me an idea. There’s something I’ve been wanting to show you. You free tomorrow night?”

“Yeah,” she said, wiping a tear away from her cheek. “I’m working the morning shift tomorrow.”

He nodded. “What if I pick you up around 7:30 tomorrow?”

“That sounds nice.”

Given her parents’ reaction, Iris didn’t want Barry to have to knock on the door when he picked her up the next day, so she got ready to meet him when he arrived.

“Where are you going?” Francine asked as her daughter slipped on her sandals by the front door.

“Out,” Iris replied simply.

“When will you be home?” 

“I don’t know.” She didn’t feel like being particularly cooperative. 

“Yes you do,” her father said, joining the conversation. “You’ll be home by midnight.”

Iris stared daggers at them both as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door. In her heart, she knew she wouldn’t be too late, but they couldn’t control her forever. After all, in a year’s time, she’d be off to college. They’d have no idea what time she got home when she was living in a dorm.

Barry’s red Chevy pulled into the drive, just as she walked out onto the porch. She bounded down the steps and pulled open the front passenger door, hopping in with a smile on her face. There was nowhere she would rather be than with him.

“Where to?” She asked as she buckled her seat belt.

“It’s a surprise,” he said, twisting around as he backed out of the driveway. 

Iris rolled down the window, letting the warm, evening air breeze over her as they drove. She breathed in the sweet fragrance of fresh cut grass and listened contentedly to crickets chirping musically in the fading evening light.

They were headed in the same direction as the Queen estate, down the cottage road that wound around the outside of Lake Albert. 

“Are we going to Oliver’s?” She asked, curious as to why that would be a surprise.

“No, not Oliver’s,” he replied, turning into a gated driveway.

They followed a wooded laneway down a hill. Through the trees emerged a gigantic, geometric, modern house. It was a juxtaposition against the old Adirondack camp style and the surrounding environment. Nevertheless, it was beautiful.

It was still under construction. There was scaffolding at one side, covering half-finished decorative masonry. The new, uncurtained windows still had stickers on them. The contractors had gone home for the day, but their tools and machinery were placed neatly, ready for the next day of work.

Barry parked the car next to the front door.

“Where are we?” Iris asked in amazement.

“Our cottage,” Barry replied with a smile.

Iris peered out the window. “Barry, this is not a cottage, it’s a house.”

He just kept grinning as he got out of the car. He hurried around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. Once she got out, she watched him pick through the keys on his keychain. He found the one he was looking for and slid it into the lock of the polished wood door. It pivoted on an off-center hinge, giving the entranceway a futuristic feel. 

“Mom loves Frank Lloyd Wright,” he explained as they entered the foyer. “So she said she wanted to build something kind of inspired by his designs.” 

Iris felt like she was walking into an art gallery. Outside it looked big. Inside it was cavernous.

In that moment she was struck by something she’d always known peripherally, but never thought about precisely: Barry’s family had money. Like, Queen family money. 

It should have occurred to her earlier: his father was a big-time surgeon; his mother owned a business as a pet project; they were spending the whole summer at a resort; Barry’s dad bought him a car as an apology. These were things that were outside of Iris’ reality. Now that she thought about it, they were just trifles to the Allens.

Then again, Barry hadn’t drawn attention to it. He wasn’t ostentatious. He didn’t wave it in people’s faces, or judge Iris, Linda or Felicity for their middling economic existence. When they were together he was just a normal teenager, living a normal life. He had a summer job, and a little pocket money for gas.

Still, now that she thought about it, there was a comfort and an acceptance on Barry’s part of the Queen’s wealth that Iris had always found novel: the way he helped himself to snacks and drinks, the way he didn’t bat an eye at Oliver’s boat, the ease with which he fit into the leisurely lifestyle of the Adirondack upper crust. 

“What do you think?” He grinned back at her, as he walked out into a vast empty living space. The windows towered up in front of him, letting in the last of the day’s light as it filtered through the trees.

Iris kicked off her sneakers and walked cautiously into the room. She craned her neck trying to guess how high the ceiling went. There was no furniture yet, nor were there appliances in the newly installed kitchen. It meant that every little sound echoed in the empty house.

“It’s… big,” she said, half dazed.

He chuckled. “Mom wanted something cozy, but Dad said we should ‘build for future generations’.” His voice deepened artificially into an impression of his father. “Guess they want me to have a big family.”

Iris laughed nervously and fiddled with the zipper on her purse. She thought for a moment of the offhand comment he’d once made about them getting married. Could she see them together here? With a couple of kids and using ‘summer’ as a verb? 

“Do you want a big family?” She asked curiously.

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “A couple of kids might be nice one day,” he said. “But you know. When I’m older.”

Iris nodded. 

“What about you?” He asked. 

“One day, maybe,” she told him.

He nodded.

They stood there looking at each other for a moment until Barry motioned for her to follow him out the sliding door and onto the deck. The view looked down the hill and out onto the lake. Across the bay, Iris spotted the unmistakable sight of the Queen's estate. The boathouse stood sentinel at the water’s edge. It reminded her of the intimate moments they shared just a few days ago. 

“Guess you and Ollie will be keeping an eye on each other for the foreseeable future,” she joked.

“Yeah,” Barry smiled. “He’s like my big brother, so, that’ll be nice.”

Iris smiled back at him. She knew his relationship with Oliver was important to him since he didn’t have any brothers or sisters of his own.

“You want to see where my room will be?” He asked.

“Sure,” she agreed.

He took her hand and led her inside, then up the modern staircase to the second floor. They passed several unfinished rooms where wires for future lights were hanging from holes in the ceiling. He paused at the end of the hallway, just in front of a closed door. “Close your eyes for a sec,” he said as he turned to her.

She surveyed him curiously, then did as he asked.

He dropped her hand. She heard the soft click of the door opening and listened to his footsteps as he shuffled around inside. He returned a moment later, grabbing her hands again then saying, “Okay, you can open them.”

Iris opened her eyes. Behind Barry, a soft orange glow was flickering. He smiled and pulled her forward into the room.

Like the rest of the house, it was practically empty. Except, Barry had clearly been there earlier. There were blankets and pillows arranged in a cozy little nest on the floor. In the four corners of the room, tea lights had been placed with tender care. The candles were now lit, casting a soft warm light around the room.

Iris stepped forward to survey the scene. 

“I thought we could have some alone time,” he said softly.

She turned to him. 

He looked a little sheepish. “It wasn’t too presumptuous, was it?” He asked, scratching the back of his neck. “I just thought when you said you wanted to --”

“No, Bear,” she shook her head. “It’s very romantic.” 

His face brightened and he stepped towards her. He lightly touched her arm, trailing his fingertips down her skin. She shivered in anticipation.

He kissed her softly, holding her hands as he stepped forward into her space.

“Should I…?” She pulled at the strap of her sundress. 

He nodded and inched closer to her. 

Their noses nuzzled while she shifted her shoulders out of the dress. It dropped to the floor in a heap.

He caressed her shoulder, running his fingers up her neck and touching her jaw, gently kissing her again. 

This was it then, Iris thought. 

“I’m scared,” she breathed involuntarily.

He paused. “We don’t have to rush,” he told her. “We can wait.”

Iris shook her head. “No, I’m ready, I just… wanted you to know.”

He nodded and smiled. “I’m a little scared, too,” he admitted. 

“Yeah?”

He nodded.

Iris wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him slowly. “Will you be gentle?” She asked.

“Of course,” he promised, wrapping his arms around her back. 

She nodded, playing with the hem of his t-shirt.

Taking her cue, he pulled it up over his head and tossed it aside.

She undid his shorts and helped him out of them before palming the bulge in his boxers. He kissed her deeply as she pulled at the waistband of his underwear. She kneeled, sliding the garment down his legs. 

His length was already hard. She wrapped her fingers around him and rubbed lightly back and forth. She liked the way it felt in her hand, liked knowing that she could make those hot little sounds come out of his mouth just by touching him. 

She’d made a promise last time they were alone, one that she intended to keep, one that she was curious to try now that they were both naked together. She held him by the base and slipped him into her mouth, taking him as far as she could before pulling her lips back and over his head.

The air hitched in his throat as he slipped from her lips.

“Feel okay?” She asked him.

“Mmph… yeah,” he breathed when she took him again. 

She bobbed her head slowly and steadily, sometimes licking languidly, sometimes mouthing at the side of his shaft, sometimes sucking at his tip. She let his shaft to fill her mouth, tasting the slightly salty taste of pre-cum on the back of her tongue when she relaxed him into the back of her throat. She thought this would be more about him, but was surprised to feel herself tingling pleasantly between the legs with every lick and suck. 

His breath was heavy, quickening with every movement she made. “Iris,” he murmured, tucking her hair back over her shoulder. His knees wobbled unsteadily and he took a small step back. He slipped from her lips, so she stroked him gently in her palm. 

He placed a hand over hers as he knelt to the floor. “Just a sec,” he said before crawling over to his discarded shorts. He grabbed a condom from the pocket, then returned to her, before lying back across the blankets and pillows. 

Iris followed him. She smiled when she noticed that one of the blankets was his sleeping bag from the camping trip. The flannel was soft under her knees.

“Do you want to…?” He asked, motioning for her to get on top of him.

She nodded, swinging a leg over his hip.

He ran his hands over her curves and squeezed at her breasts. It made her blood rush.

She rubbed her hips against him. She knew she shouldn’t. They should just put the condom on, but the feel of his bare tip against her clit was amazing.

His eyes closed, revelling in the sensation for a moment, before he opened them again and held her thighs still. “Wait,” he urged.

“Sorry,” she replied bashfully.

“It’s okay, just want to be safe,” he said.

Iris nodded. 

Barry stripped the side of the condom open and slipped it from its package. She stroked him, watching while his face grew concentrated. Carefully, he pinched the tip and unrolled it down his shaft all the way to the base. 

She admired the flush of his cheeks as he smiled and leaned up to kiss her. “Ready?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she agreed.

She sat up over him as they fumbled to find their way to each other. After a couple failed attempts, Iris held him by the base and positioned him at her entrance. She pressed her weight down slowly over him. She was worried it would hurt, but it wasn’t painful. There was a little resistance at first. She breathed through it.

“You okay?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she replied, pressing down further. Finally, he slipped past the renitent skin and she sank down to his hips. 

Her heart was pounding in her chest. The feeling of him inside of her was intense. He filled her completely. The pressure against her inner walls made her throb in a way she’d never felt before. She lay her palms against the skin of his chest as she got used to the sensation.

Their eyes locked heatedly. If his cheeks had been flushed before, it was nothing to the way they were now. His lips were swollen and parted as he gasped for air in time with her. 

His hands clutched at her thighs. 

Testing her limits, she slowly rocked her hips, then lay down over him, eager to be as close as possible.

He pulled himself out and in, out and then in again. 

A throaty sound escaped Iris’ lips. It didn’t even sound like her voice. 

“God, Iris,” he panted through kisses. “I love you, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” she breathed.

Lips met and tongues tangled. Everything was good and wet and nice. 

He slipped his tongue into her mouth while he stroked her with his cock. The feeling of him inside her mouth and sheath at the same time was overwhelming. She felt like she was high. 

Iris pulled her hips down against him as hard as she could. It felt amazing when he was deep inside of her. 

“Oh,” she moaned quietly.

“Yeah,” he breathed, holding her hips tight against him.

He tilted his pelvis up as he held her down, pressing deeper into her with a slow rhythm rather than pulling out.

“Humn,” she whimpered, rocking a little faster. She found she loved the way it felt to rub her pelvis over him while he was inside of her. It was this that made her shudder, that made her forget her request to be gentle. She grasped onto his shoulders tightly, her forehead pressed against his neck and rocked him hard and deep.

It was Barry who was panting now, audibly, in a way that made Iris blush. For a moment she thought about the first time she ever saw him, how he’d smiled so brightly as he handed her that cone of mint chocolate chip. Little did she know she’d be here with him, naked together, loving each other desperately until they were both panting, gasping, throbbing, convulsing. 

She finished first, her body seizing for a moment. She clutched him desperately as he thrust in quick succession, completing with one last final shudder.

Thank God they were alone. Iris never would have guessed they would be so noisy, never would have guessed the sounds that came out of Barry’s mouth. 

He panted and hummed, rubbing her back as he stilled beneath her. 

Her body felt like melted butter, splayed all over him.

She giggled in the afterglow, tucking her forehead into his neck and running her hand across his pecs.

He breathed a laugh as he caressed her back. 

After a moment he shifted. “I should…”

“Yeah.”

He reached between them and held the condom while he pulled away from her. 

She lay patiently at his side while he tied it. 

“Oh, um,” he looked around the room, realizing there was no waste bin.

Iris laughed with her hand over her mouth. Then she said, “I think I have some kleenex in my purse.” She sat up and crawled to her bag, digging into the contents. She took the condom from him, looking at it curiously for a moment before she folded it into the kleenex and stuffed it back in the plastic wrapper.

“Forgot about that part,” he said sheepishly with a little giggle.

Iris smiled thoughtfully as she crawled back towards him.

“You okay?” He asked, kissing her shoulder. 

“Yeah,” she replied. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“That was a lot of fun,” he told her.

“Yeah it was,” she nodded. 

“You sure? You seem far away.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m good, I just… there was no blood on it. I thought…”

Barry looked into her eyes as she tried to articulate what she was thinking.

“It’s okay, never mind,” she said shaking it off.

He stroked her arm with his fingertips pensively. “I read once that the hymen isn’t really what people think it is,” he said scientifically.

“Where did you read that?” Iris asked in surprise.

Barry shrugged. “One of my dad’s medical journals.”

“Oh,” she replied thoughtfully.

“Yeah. So, that doesn’t always happen.” 

Iris nodded. “I thought it’d hurt more, too.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” He asked with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah of course it is. It’s just… I’d prepared myself for something different. If I’d known…”

Barry smirked and kissed her. “What?”

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have been as nervous.”

He nodded and kissed her again, then pulled her into his arms and cuddled her sweetly. 

She rested her head against his chest and trailed her fingers back and forth over his pecs. “Bear?” She asked after a minute.

“Mhmm?” 

“Do you have another condom?” 

He laughed. “Yeah.” 

“Can we do it again?” She asked, reaching down to stroke him. 

“Yeah,” he breathed, “I just need like… five minutes.”

“Oh,” she giggled. “Right.”

“I could do something else in the meantime,” he grinned.

“Oh yeah?” She asked. “What’s that?”

He sat up and crawled in front of her, then hooked his arms under her legs and pulled her towards him before sinking down between her legs.

“What time is it?” Iris asked later, half-asleep as they lay spent and cuddling. 

For hours they’d explored each other with soft touches, gentle kisses and murmurs of “This okay? Do you like...? Does that feel good?” until they felt like they knew every inch of each other. It was easy to doze in and out of sleep after, as they lay comfortably beside one another, snuggling and spooning.

Outside the sky was dark. Inside, the last of the tea lights were burning low. 

Barry rolled over to check his phone. “Shit,” he breathed.

“What?” Iris said, sitting up.

“It’s two forty-five.”

“ _What?_ ” She repeated in a panic. She scrambled for her clothes, pulling them on as Barry did the same. “My parents are going to kill me.”

They rushed to tidy up the room, packing the blankets and pillows away in the duffle bag that Barry had brought them in. In the scramble, Iris accidentally spilled a little of the leftover candle wax on her hand. Thankfully, it was no longer hot.

They raced down the stairs hand in hand and out to the car. Barry started the engine as they fastened their seatbelts.

“I wish we didn’t have to go,” Iris said sadly as they pulled out of the drive. 

“I know,” Barry said. “Maybe one day we can have real sleepovers.”

“That would be nice,” Iris agreed.

Barry drove as fast as he could back to _River Bend_ , turning his lights off before they approached to avoid attention. They didn’t expect there to be two teenagers huddled in front of the bushes at the edge of the driveway.

“Look out!” Iris called as soon as she saw them. 

Barry slammed on the breaks when he saw two scared faces turn towards the car. He managed to stop within a few inches of them. 

Iris rolled down her window and leaned out. “Wally?” She said in surprise.

Sure enough, Iris’ little brother Wally was standing in front of the car, his hands around the sweet face of a cute girl Iris could only guess was Harry’s daughter. They’d clearly been making out not a moment before. 

So, her brother had been having his own summer romance. He’d sure been quiet about it. 

Iris hopped out of the car. “ _Wally,_ ” she scolded in a harsh whisper. “What are you doing?” 

“What am I doing?” He replied in the same hushed tone. “What are you doing?” 

Iris looked back at Barry who had also gotten out of the car to see what was going on. 

She wasn’t going to answer her brother’s question.

“It’s almost three in the morning,” Iris hissed.

“ _Annnd_ ,” Wally said. “Could say the same to you.”

“I’m older,” Iris replied. 

“We have the same curfew,” Wally chirped.

Iris noticed the girl was looking a little panicked. 

“Hi,” Iris said kindly. “I’m Iris.”

“Hi,” the girl replied shyly. “I’m Jessie.”

She turned back to her brother. “We are going to go inside. _Quietly_. And then we are never going to speak of this ever again.”

Wally knew a good deal when he was offered one. He nodded, squeezed Jessie’s hand and they said a quiet good night. 

Iris shot an apologetic look across the car at Barry.

He nodded in understanding. “You need a ride somewhere?” He offered to Jessie.

The girl shook her head. “It’s okay, I’m just around the corner,” she replied.

“All right. Iris... I’ll see you soon?”

“See you soon,” Iris agreed with a nod.

She grabbed her brother by the elbow and climbed the stairs in stealth mode. They managed to get the door open without it creaking. Iris breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped her shoes off. They might just get away with it.

Of course, that would have been too easy. 

The living room light flickered on, revealing Joe waiting patiently in the armchair. “And where have you two been?” He asked in a deep, stern tone.

Iris froze as she clutched Wally’s elbow. 

Her father stood from his seat and walked over to them. “Well?” 

“We -- we were at Oliver’s,” Iris lied, squeezing Wally’s elbow harder, trying to tell him through physical force to play along.

Joe crossed his arms in front of his body.

“Yeah,” Wally shrugged. “We were playing manhunt and we kind of got lost in the woods. That’s why Iris’ hair is all messed up.”

Iris shot a fierce look at her brother.

“Mmhmm,” Joe hummed skeptically. “So if I called Oliver Queen right now, he’d tell me the same thing?”

Iris wasn’t going to back down now. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “Sure, go ahead.”

Her father stared intently at them, waiting for one of them to crack. Fortunately, they were both practiced at persisting through 'Dad Cop's' interrogation techniques. They stared back, equally as intent on not folding. 

“Get to bed,” Joe said after some time. “Both of you.”

Relieved, Iris climbed the stairs behind her brother. Just as she reached the top she heard her father mutter, “Kids gonna make a man go grey before his time.”


	14. Summer's End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied racism & microaggressions.

The next morning, Iris’ parents cornered her and Wally for a lecture over breakfast.

“What were you thinking?” Francine said. “Out until three in the morning… oh my word.”

“If Grandma Esther was still alive, she’d tell me to ground both of you until you turn fifty,” Joe piped in.

Iris and Wally sat side by side at the table, both sinking down into their chairs wishing they could disintegrate.

“And Iris, after what you asked your father and me… how do we know we can trust you to be sensible?”

“Because you raised two smart, responsible kids!” Iris argued. 

This surprised her parents. 

Wally also looked shocked. It was usually each sibling for themselves in situations like this.

“Look, we got carried away,” Iris explained. “We were having fun with our friends and we lost track of time. It’s the last week of summer… everyone is just trying to make the most of it. We didn’t do anything stupid.”

“Except disobey a direct order,” Joe countered.

“This isn’t the police, dad,” Iris rebutted. “There are no ranks.”

“Oh yes there are! You’re the kids and we’re the parents. What we say goes.”

Iris huffed and crossed her arms. “Are we done here? I have to get ready for work.”

“Me too,” Wally said quietly.

“Fine,” Joe said. “But I want you straight home afterwards.”

“Fine.”

Iris didn’t exactly keep her promise. She dared to swing by the _Soda Shoppe_ where she knew Barry would be finishing up his last shift of the summer. 

“You get in okay last night?” He asked her quietly during a lull. She was sitting at the counter, waiting out the last five minutes of his shift.

“Sort of,” she responded. “Dad was still awake. Got a lecture this morning.”

“You think they know?” Barry asked, looking a little panicked.

“I’m not sure. I told them we were playing manhunt at Oliver’s. I think it helped that Wally was there.”

He nodded before turning to a family that had just approached the till. 

“What’s with you two?” Felicity asked as she swung by Iris’ seat. “You’re all conspiratorial over here.”

Iris shrugged. “Just… had a late night last night.”

“ _Ohhh_ ,” Felicity replied knowingly, looking over at Barry and sizing him up. “How was it?” She wiggled her eyebrows at Iris.

Iris gave her a stern look, indicating that Felicity should drop it. 

Her friend just smirked and went back to work.

When Barry finished serving the family, he took off his apron. “Felicity, I’m taking off.”

“Aww, okay Barry. Another summer over, huh?” 

“Yeah,” he replied. 

“I’ll miss our chats about the chemical composition of different ice cream flavours,” she said, hugging him.

“Me too,” he replied, grinning.

“Will I see you before you go?” 

“Mom and I might swing by on Monday before we head back to the city,” he said. “She just wants to check in, make sure everything is going okay.”

“‘Kay. Well, if I don’t… you have a good winter.”

He smiled and looked over at Iris. “You might see me before then.”

“Oh yeah?” Felicity grinned, looking between them. “That’d be great.”

Iris beamed.

She followed Barry out to his car. He drove her the two minutes back to her house.

When they arrived, Iris’ parents were sitting on the porch. 

Joe pointed two fingers at them, then curled them around in a ‘come here’ motion. 

They exchanged a nervous look, but obeyed. 

“Sit,” her father ordered, motioning to the chairs across from him and Francine.

The two kids sat apprehensively.

“Iris told us you’d like to come visit during the school year,” Francine said to Barry. Her tone was soft. Iris wondered where this was going.

Barry blinked innocently and nodded. “I can stay at my family’s cottage if you don’t want me here,” he suggested.

“Would your parents be there?” Joe asked.

Barry shook his head.

“Then I think you’d better stay here.”

Iris’ heart almost burst. She couldn’t help the smile on her face. They were going to let him visit.

“There’s a pull out in the basement,” Joe explained. “By ten o’clock you’ll be separate.”

Barry nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir.”

“Good. And one other thing.”

“Okay?” Iris said.

“Iris is grounded until October.”

The smile on Iris’ face dropped away. “ _Dad_ \--”

“Oh,” Barry breathed, his face falling. He looked like he’d just been told that someone died.

“If you still want to come visit by then,” Joe offered. “You’re welcome to.”

Barry gave Iris a desperate look. “Is this about last night, sir? I’m sorry about that… we just lost track of time.”

Joe pressed two fingers two his temple and leaned forward. “I’m sure you did.”

Barry’s mouth was gaping. “My family and I… we’re leaving on Monday.”

Joe nodded. This wasn’t news to him.

“So... I won’t see Iris again?” Barry asked, his voice cracking.

Francine looked thoughtful.

Joe was unwavering. “You can come say goodbye before you leave,” Joe offered.

“But, _Dad_ …” Iris protested.

“Sir, it’s just -- my dad is coming up this weekend… and there’s this thing at Thawne’s place on Saturday. Like, an end of summer party? And Iris hasn’t really met my dad properly and I just wanted --” Barry was speaking at a mile a minute.

Francine was nodding along as the young man tried to explain himself.

Iris watched her father carefully. He wasn’t budging. 

It wasn’t until his wife turned to him with sympathetic eyes and said, “Maybe we can let her go… it’s just for one night.”

Joe looked over in surprise as if to say, _I thought we were on the same team?_

“Please, Dad?” Iris begged. “I won’t leave the house for a month after that.”

Joe felt all the eyes on him, urging him to soften his stance. Under normal circumstances when Joe West decided how best to parent, there was no changing his mind. But this was new territory for all of them. 

His resolve faltered. 

“Just this once,” Francine offered, taking advantage of her husband’s hesitation.

Barry and Iris smiled brightly at each other, relieved they would have one last evening to be together before the summer ended. 

“And then you’re grounded for a month,” Joe reiterated to Iris.

Happy to accept her punishment in exchange for the party, Iris leaned forward to hug her father and kissed him on the cheek.

“Time to say good night,” Joe directed.

The two kids nodded obediently.

Iris walked Barry back down to his car while her parents watched them carefully.

“Good night, Bear,” she said, smiling.

“Night, Iris,” he said, towering over her. His eyes flitted over her face, thinking, considering, weighing the risks.

Then he went for it.

He grabbed her face and kissed her.

Iris’ heart pounded against her rib cage. 

He was kissing her in front of her parents! 

They were going to kill her. 

_Oh, whatever_ , she thought, sinking into him.

With his lips on hers, she couldn’t care less.

The happiness was overwhelming as Barry climbed into his car and drove away.

On Saturday evening, it seemed like every guest at Thawne’s Place was out on the lawn. A bandstand had been set up at one side, and a four-piece group of old rockers were churning out classic rock covers. 

Despite the festive setting, there was a melancholy in the air. 

Everyone knew this was summer’s last hurrah.

It didn’t help that it was humid as hell. The air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Barry and Iris arrived at the inn after he picked her up. They stood hand in hand, surveying the scene, scanning the crowd for Barry’s parents. Finally, they spotted Nora waving happily at them. Beside her, Henry towered in a camel coloured sport coat. 

Barry smiled, grabbed Iris’ hand and led her over to his parents.

“Iris!” Nora greeted happily, hugging her son’s companion. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

“Hi, Nora,” Iris replied.

“You look lovely, sweetheart,” Nora told her.

Iris smiled. She’d worn her favourite summer dress, hoping to make a good impression. “Thank you,” she replied.

“Dad, you remember Iris?” Barry said to his father. 

Henry looked Iris up and down. 

It was unexpected. Iris didn’t like the way it made her feel: judged and self-conscious. 

“Should I?” Henry asked.

Barry literally bit his tongue. 

Iris’ cheeks grew hot. 

“Yes, Henry,” Nora tried to save. “Don’t you remember? Iris was at the Queens’. And I told you about Barry’s special friend...” 

“Girlfriend, actually,” Barry corrected softly.

“Right, girlfriend,” Nora agreed.

Henry looked between them for a tense moment. It was obvious that he didn’t remember being told anything of the sort. “Iris, nice to meet you,” Henry said in a tone that indicated it was anything but. “Again, apparently.”

The qualifier left a bitter taste in Iris’ mouth. She laughed nervously, but shook his hand anyway. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Iris watched Barry roll his eyes at his father’s lack of social graces.

“Are you all set for your senior year?” Nora asked, making polite conversation.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Iris replied, doing her best to smile. 

“It’s an exciting time,” Nora continued. “College applications… prom…”

“That is, if you plan to go to college.” Henry said gruffly.

“I do,” Iris replied, steel slipping into her voice. Why wouldn’t she?

He returned a small, surprised expression. 

“Iris wants to be a journalist,” Barry said, trying to be helpful.

“A journalist?” Henry scoffed. “Newspaper jobs are hard to come by these days.”

“Sure, if you’re just interested in traditional media,” Iris countered. “But web content is growing every day.”

Henry surveyed her coldly like he wasn’t convinced.

“Barry,” Nora smiled, “Did I tell you we donated some ice cream to the party? I think Eddie is serving it up in the dining hall. Why don’t you and Iris go get a scoop?”

Iris was silently thankful for Nora’s perceptive intervention.

Barry nodded, throwing some side eye at his father as he grabbed Iris’s hand and led her towards the deck of the main inn. 

Iris tried to gather her bearings. She thought that perhaps when she’d first met Henry at the Queen estate, she’d just caught him on a bad night. 

Was he always like this?

“I’m sorry about my Dad,” Barry said, picking up on her silence as they climbed the steps to the deck. They had to skirt around racing children who had already had too many treats.

Iris nodded. She looked back at Henry when they reached the top. She was trying to get a better read on his character.

“Barry…” she began softly. She found herself trembling. “Do you know what microaggressions are?”

He paused and turned to look at her, took her hands into his and nodded. 

“Do you think your dad is mad because --”

Barry wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, holding her so tight she could hardly breathe. Somehow it was comforting. “I don’t know,” he said, honestly. He held her steadfast until the knot in her chest eased. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him,” he said. “I love you.”

“I know,” she replied as he let her go. 

He was studying her intently, waiting for her to keep speaking. 

Iris just wanted to drop it. She mustered a smile and said, “I could really go for a scoop of mint chip right now.”

He smiled faintly then took her hand and led her in through the door to the dining hall. 

Eddie Thawne was in the servery, passing scoop after scoop to waiting families through the window to the kitchen.

“Barry, Iris,” he greeted as they approached the front of the line. 

“Hi Eddie,” Barry said dryly.

“Haven’t seen you two in a while,” Eddie laughed, leaning through the window. “What have you two been doing? Besides each other?” He waved between them for effect.

Barry’s face hardened. 

Iris gripped his hand in hers. It wasn’t worth getting upset over. Eddie didn’t know anything for certain, he was just jealous and taking shots where he could get them.

“Just enjoying the last couple days of summer,” Iris said brightly. “Right, babe?” She pressed up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. 

Barry smiled faintly, while Eddie deflated.

“Right,” Barry said shortly. “We just wanted some ice cream.”

Eddie gave a frustrated sigh. “What flavor?”

“Mint chip, please,” Iris requested.

“Cookie dough,” Barry ordered.

Reluctantly, Eddie scooped them two cones and handed them over the ledge. “Don’t know why Uncle Eobard has me doing your lame job, Allen. Surely you’re the expert.”

Barry gave a humourless laugh as he took his cone from Eddie. “How is Uncle Thawne, anyway?” Barry shot back. “Still hitting on every married woman in this place?”

The smug smile on Eddie’s face melted away.

“Guess it runs in the family, huh?” Barry continued. “Going after what you can’t have.”

Iris watched uncomfortably as Barry and Eddie engaged in a staring contest. 

“Come on, Bear,” she said after a moment. “Let’s go watch the sunset.”

She poked him in the ribs until he moved. 

The setting sun was throwing purple and gold light as they headed down to the docks to eat their ice cream. They sat on the end of the pier, their feet dangling in the water as they watched the fading light. A towering cumulonimbus cloud was approaching from the south. It was a beautiful, if threatening sight. 

Barry quietly licked at his ice cream cone while they looked out across the lake.

“Looks like it might storm,” Iris commented.

“Yeah,” he acknowledged, though he seemed far away.

“You okay?” Iris asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry, I wanted this to be a nice night.”

“Being with you is always a nice, Bear,” Iris smiled encouragingly.

He touched her hand, seeking out the comfort of her skin and nodded. 

When they finished eating, Barry wrapped his arm around Iris. He squeezed her while she relaxed into his side. They needed to savour the time together. This was their last night together for the summer, after all. 

Behind them, the band was jamming out the lazy groove of an old Bob Seeger tune.

 _Working on mysteries without any clues_ , the singer crooned. _Working on our night moves_.

“You wanna get out of here?” Barry asked in a hushed voice, nuzzling her ear and pecking her cheek.

Iris smiled and nodded.

He grabbed her hand. They made their way through the throngs of party-goers and back to Nora’s cabin. Stealthily, they slipped inside. In a heartbeat, they crossed the living space to Barry’s room where he closed and locked the door behind them.

In the distance they could still hear the band playing. 

_And it was summertime… sweet summertime, summertime..._

Iris hooked her arms around Barry’s neck. They swayed to the music, turning slowly in a circle while their noses touched.

“Iris?” He whispered in the darkness. 

“Mmhm?”

“I’m glad I met you.”

“I’m glad I met you, too, Bear,” she replied.

“I’ve never... met anyone that I felt so close to,” he told her.

She nodded her nose against his. “Me neither.” 

Her chin tilted up and he pressed his mouth down against hers. His arms threaded around her back and squeezed their bodies together. 

She liked the way it felt when they were against each other. She was going to miss this. 

They shuffled towards the bed, flopping back to the mattress ungracefully, their lips never parting.

“I’m gonna miss you,” she whispered.

“I’m gonna miss you, too,” he said. “But I’ll see you soon, right? In October?”

She nodded. “Still… it’s so far away.”

He nuzzled her nose then kissed her slowly.

It grew heated quickly. 

Soon, Iris was peeling Barry’s shirt off of him.

He ran his hands up her thighs, pushing her skirt up until he found her underwear. He hooked his fingers hooked under the fabric, pulled it down her legs and tossed her panties aside. They fell somewhere beneath the bed. 

No words were spoken, but they both knew what was happening. They needed to have each other one last time before he left, needed to savour the way it felt to be connected before they’d be apart for a whole month. 

Iris plucked the button on his shorts open and slid her hand down into his boxers. He was already almost hard. She helped him along, stroking him softly.

“I love you,” he said, pressing his mouth against hers.

“Love you,” she replied.

His hips bucked against her hand.

It made her excited that he was excited. 

“You have a condom?” She whispered.

“Yeah,” he nodded, still enjoying the feel of her hand on him. 

Then, there was a noise that made both of them pause.

Someone was attempting to twist the door handle.

Iris’ heart stopped. 

Barry’s hips stopped moving.

He nuzzled her nose one last time then sat up. 

There came an urgent knock at the door.

Iris adjusted her skirt back over her legs. There wasn’t any time to locate her underwear.

Another knock.

“Barry, open this door right now.” His father’s voice came from the other side. He sounded angry.

“Just a _minute_ ,” Barry hissed as he scrambled to get dressed. He adjusted himself, buttoned his shorts, pulled on his t-shirt, and hastily fixed his hair before going to the door.

His father was knocking again.

Iris sat cross-legged on the bed, her hands in her lap to keep her skirt down and tried her best to look like nothing untoward had been going on.

“What?” Barry snapped, as he opened the door.

His father looked furious. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Barry replied. “Just hanging out.”

“Then why is the door locked?”

“We were just --” 

Henry shot a scathing look at Iris over his son’s shoulder. 

She felt her cheeks grow hot in shame. Until now, she’d never felt like being physical with Barry was wrong.

“I’d like to speak to you for a moment please,” Henry ordered. His voice was level, but his tone hinted at an underlying ire. 

Iris found herself trembling.

Barry looked over his shoulder apologetically at Iris, then stepped out into the living room. He pulled the door behind him but left it open just a crack.

“Listen,” Henry began. “I don’t know what kind of crap your mother lets you get away with when it’s just you and her --”

“She doesn’t let me get away with anything,” Barry mumbled while his father raised his voice.

“-- But when I’m here, hell, at any time, if you’re entertaining a guest of the fairer sex, you keep the door _open_ and _unlocked_. You hear me? Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

The way Henry was talking to Barry made Iris feel terrified.

“She’s not a guest, Dad. She’s my _girlfriend_. And she has a name. It’s _Iris_. And she’s not _fairer_! She’s the strongest person I know.”

Iris smiled to herself through the twisting in her stomach. 

Henry balked. “Barry, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re headed for an ivy league school, son. And you want to get mixed up with some trollop townie?”

Iris’ chest constricted into a vice grip. She couldn’t breathe. 

“Don’t talk about her like that!” Barry shouted.

“Your mother tells me that you want to bring her to the city. Well, I don’t approve. I will _never_ approve.”

Hot tears stung the side of Iris’ eyes. She’d never felt so rejected in all of her life.

“You don’t even know what you’re saying,” Barry was yelling. “You don’t know her at _all_. You don’t even know _me_ for fuck’s sake. You’ve never even tried.”

“ _Don’t you use that language with me_!” Henry bellowed.

Suddenly, Barry was barreling back through the door, slamming it behind him and locking it purposefully.

Iris looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Iris,” he pleaded as he laid eyes on her. He rushed towards her and held her hands while she sobbed. 

Her face fell. All she could do was stare at the comforter.

“Don’t listen to him, please,” Barry was saying. “That’s not what my mom thinks. That’s not what I think. I _love_ you.” He squeezed her hands, trying to get her to look at him.

Iris could hardly lift her head. She looked at her hands in Barry’s and at the contrast of their skin. 

Henry’s message was clear. She wasn’t good enough for his son. His judgment was based on nothing but perception, nothing but looks alone. He had already damned their relationship without even trying to know anything about it.

“Henry?” She heard Nora’s voice from the living room. “What’s going on? I thought I heard shouting.”

“Our _son_ is locked in his room with his _girlfriend_.” He practically spat the last word.

Another sob choked Iris’ throat.

“Oh Henry, leave them alone, they’re just kids,” Nora tried to calm him. 

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Don’t you remember when we were their age?” Barry’s mother tried to appeal to her husband.

Iris couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation for the ringing in her ears. Barry was trying to hold her, but she couldn’t bear his arms around her at the moment. 

“I want to go home,” she hiccoughed as she pushed him away.

Barry frowned and looked at her sadly, but nodded. He took his car keys out of his pocket and pulled on her hand, leading her out of the room. 

They crossed the living room to the porch door as quickly as they could. Iris avoided looking anywhere but her feet as they went.

“I’m taking Iris home,” Barry said angrily as he pushed open the screen door and they rushed out into the hot, sticky night. 

Outside, the sky was dark. There was a palpable static and an almost metallic taste to the atmosphere as they hurried to Barry’s car. In the distance, thunder rumbled. Fat drops of rain began to pelt the ground just as Iris pulled on the passenger door. She slumped into the seat and rested her head against the window.

The drive was silent. 

The only sound in the car was the frantic to and fro of the wipers. They danced furiously across the windshield, displacing the pouring rain from Barry’s line of sight. 

His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. His jaw was locked. 

Iris found it hard to look at him. She couldn’t stop crying, either. 

Why did it feel so awful? 

All summer Henry had been this looming presence. For the most part, she’d only ever heard about him second hand. Now, she understood. Now, she’d borne the brunt of his rancor. The man was toxic.

They pulled into the driveway of _River Bend_ and sat silently in the car. The rain pounded on the hood, startling Iris with every drop.

“Iris,” Barry began. “I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head. The scene kept playing over and over again in her head. Henry’s words kept echoing in her ears. It made her feel like her insides were being hollowed out.

She couldn’t feel anything anymore. 

“Maybe your father is right,” she said. Her tone was flat as she stared forward aimlessly. 

Barry was silent.

“You and I …” Iris tried to piece her words together. “We come from different worlds, Barry.”

“What do you mean?” He asked. 

Iris shook her head as tears streaked down her cheeks. “This summer has been a dream. But this life… of yachts and massive summer homes…” She waved her hands around to all that they were surrounded by. “It’s not my life. I’m just a cop’s daughter from westside Central City. I’m headed to a state university and you… well the world’s your oyster.”

“Iris,” he pleaded. “That’s not true. You can do or go anywhere you want to go. And wherever that is, I want to be there, too.”

“That’s the thing,” Iris said. “Going anywhere… being anything… that’s your reality. It’s not mine. My reality is that I spent the last year of my life being an unwilling transplant, uprooted from my home. I need to spend the next year trying to get back there. Don’t you see?”

“You can. You will. I know you will.”

“And you…” She patted his hand across the center console. “You should get away from your father. Go explore the world, be your own man.”

Barry’s face went pale. He was blinking at her, not comprehending.

“And you should do that on your own,” she said, her voice cracking. 

“On my own?” Barry’s voice wobbled in his throat. “Are you breaking up with me?”

She smiled meekly at him as another tear trailed down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Barry.”

Before she could change her mind, she pulled on the door handle and climbed out of the car into the pouring rain.

“Iris. Iris, no,” Barry was calling after her as he, too, jumped out of the car. “Please, just wait.”

She couldn’t wait. She needed to go inside, or she was going to lose her resolve. She scrambled up the drenched porch steps, threw open the front door and rushed inside before he could convince her otherwise. The door slammed shut with a thunk behind her.

Her mother looked up from where she and Joe were sitting in the living room. The distress on her daughter’s face was obvious. “Iris?” She asked. “Are you all right?”

Iris just shook her head and kicked off her soaked sneakers. She headed for the stairs. She just wanted to be alone. 

“What’s wrong?” She heard her father ask. 

“I don’t know,” Francine’s concerned voice replied. 

As Iris entered her bedroom, she heard a frantic knock at the front door. 

“Joe, Detective West, sir,” echoed Barry’s voice up the stairs. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but can I talk to Iris, please?”

“You have anything to do with why my daughter came home crying, son?”

“No -- well, yes, in a manner of speaking, but… it’s all just been a misunderstanding…” Barry rambled on to Joe, while Francine climbed the stairs.

“Iris?” She knocked softly on her daughter’s bedroom door. “Is everything okay?”

Iris shook her head but was unable to communicate anything more through her tears.

“Did he hurt you?” Francine asked tentatively, sitting at the edge of her bed.

She buried her cheeks in her knees as she pulled her legs up into her chest. “No,” she said firmly. “Nothing like that.”

Francine nodded. “Do you want to talk to him? He seems pretty keen to talk to you…”

She shook her head again.

Her mother patted her shoulder, stood from the side of the bed and went back downstairs.

“Barry, you’re a sweet kid,” she heard her mother say. “But Iris just wants to be left alone right now.”

There was silence for a moment. “O-okay,” he breathed, his voice cracking and unsteady. “Would you… would you just… tell her that I love her? And I’m sorry. For everything.”

“We’ll tell her,” Francine agreed. 

“His dad said _what?_ ”

Linda’s jaw dropped as Iris recounted the story in the corner booth at the Park’s restaurant the next day. Iris was facing the wall. She didn’t want anyone to see her. She couldn’t repeat it a second time without crying.

“Oh hun,” Linda said, leaving her seat and sliding in beside Iris as she wrapped an arm around her friend.

“So I ended it,” Iris cried into Linda’s shoulder.

Linda just held her. “I’m sorry. You know that’s not what Barry thinks of you, right?”

“I know,” Iris sniffled. “I just… can’t.”

Linda nodded. 

Iris’ phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Barry.

_Can we talk?_

She lost it sobbing. “I can’t,” she repeated, choking on her words as she passed her phone to Linda so her friend could see.

“Okay,” Linda soothed, rubbing her back. “You don’t have to.”


	15. The Winter of Our Discontent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man posting that last chapter was emotional. As you can probably tell, I've been working towards it for a long time and had been writing ahead. 
> 
> Sorry again for what I've done to Henry's character. I do love him in the show and know that canon Henry couldn't be further from this Henry.
> 
> There's a particular story I wanted to tell here, and all of these characters fell into that alternate universe so well. 
> 
> Thank you for coming with me on this journey. There's still a ways to go before the end.
> 
> If you want extra feels, here's some musical accompaniment to this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6gZFEiMkM

Most of the time, Iris West did not think about Barry Allen. 

She didn’t think about him on Labour Day when he and his parents were likely packing up from Thawne’s Place and convoying back to Central City. She didn’t think about him when she returned to school on Tuesday for the first day of her senior year. She didn’t think about him as the seasons changed and the population of Summerville once again shrank to its usual size.

The blissful days of summer had been but a dream from which Iris was now awakening. Adding to the feeling of slipping back into a harsh reality, the whole town seemed to forget that summer was ever a thing. Seasonal businesses began to close for the winter. Town square and the waterfront were all but deserted. 

Most of the time, Iris stayed focused. She threw herself into her coursework and turned all of her energy into getting what she wanted: a spot at Central City University.

Most of the time, she didn’t listen to the mixtape Barry had given her. 

Most of the time, she didn’t recall what it was like to kiss him or to touch him, or what it was like when he touched her.

But sometimes, she slipped up.

Sometimes, every song on the radio reminded her of him. It was like sonic torture every time she and Wally got a ride home from school. She couldn’t help but snap, “Someone please turn that crap off,” from the backseat as One Direction’s _They Don’t Know About Us_ sounded obnoxiously through the speakers one afternoon. She resolved to start walking home.

Sometimes, she lay in bed late into the night, scrolling through pictures they’d taken together and wondering if he was thinking of her, too. 

Sometimes, she wished he posted more on Instagram. What was he doing? Was he happy? Was he living his life the way she’d told him to?

Sometimes, with visceral recall she remembered the way their bodies moved together the night they made love. She thought about how happy and whole and safe she felt when they were melding into one. 

She ached to feel that again. 

In early October, she almost lost her breakfast when she saw she had a text message from Barry.

 _Are you still grounded?_ He'd asked.

Iris couldn’t bring herself to reply.

She deleted his number from her phone to remove any temptation.

Slowly, winter crept in. 

Iris tried to be happy for Wally, whose romance with Jessie was progressing unimpeded. They spent a lot of time at the house, and little by little Jessie and Iris became friends. It was a bit like having a little sister. Iris had always wanted a little sister.

“Weren’t you dating someone, Iris?” Jessie asked her one day out of the blue. “That cute guy from the ice cream shop?”

Iris’ stomach launched up into her throat.

She nodded silently. “For a while.”

“What happened?” Jessie asked innocently.

Iris sucked in a deep breath and looked at the sweet faced girl. “Has your father ever been mad you’re dating a black boy?”

Jessie looked perplexed. “My dad acts like a grump sometimes, but he loves Wally.”

Iris hummed in acknowledgement.

At least Wally didn’t have to go through what she went through.

Iris also tried to be happy for Felicity when she left on weekends to visit Oliver at Starling City University, or when he helicoptered in to visit with her. Felicity never seemed put off by the fact that she was dating the heir to a billionaire’s fortune. And really, why would she? It would be easy for Felicity to slip into that world.

It wasn’t the same for Iris. 

In moments of weakness, Iris wondered if she’d overreacted. Maybe she should have persisted. Maybe she should have damned what Henry Allen thought. Maybe she and Barry could have taken on the adversity thrown at them. 

Then again, Iris didn’t think she could stomach being around a man like Henry. She reassured herself she’d made the right choice. 

When Christmas arrived, the West family decided to pile into the car and head to Aunt Judith’s place in Central City. It should have been a happy time, but all Iris could think about for the whole trip was how geographically close she would be to Barry, and how far away from him she felt. She wondered if she was being silly for still thinking about him. 

Maybe he’d forgotten about her by now.

It snowed on Christmas morning. She took a selfie in the backyard and posted it. _Xmas in CC_ , read the caption.

A few likes rolled in immediately: Linda, Felicity, Cisco. 

She sat quietly through Christmas dinner, immune to the mirth surrounding her, except for the small fantasy she harbored that Aunt Judith would let her stay forever.

Her bubble burst when they loaded into the car on Boxing Day and began the four-hour drive back to Summerville. 

She spent the trip flicking through her phone, scrolling aimlessly.

Then, a notification popped up.

 _itsbarryallen_ _liked your photo_.

Iris’ stomach dropped. She almost yelled at her dad to turn the car around. But she grabbed a hold of herself and snapped out of it. A passing ‘like’ didn’t mean anything. Still, she kept staring at his name.

Her heart was pounding.

Before she knew what she was doing, she sent him a DM. 

_Hey_ , she said.

It took him a while, but eventually he replied. _Hey_.

She couldn’t figure out what to say next. Should it be a causal, “How’s it going?” or a cryptic, “I miss you.” Or maybe, she should wear her heart on her sleeve and say, “I made a mistake, and I’m still madly in love with you, please can we get back together?”

Unable to decide, she went with a safe, _How are you?_

Three little bubbles appeared and disappeared. Then again.

A response never came.

Maybe he hated her.

Being back at school in the New Year helped. Routine helped. 

College acceptance letters were starting to arrive at her friends’ houses. It was no surprise when Felicity got into MIT, or when Linda got into Keystone U. 

Iris kept her fingers crossed, kept working hard. She was going to get out of this two-bit town if it was the last thing she ever did.

Then, one day, everything she’d been working for came true. She got her letter from CCU, a scholarship and a place in a residence. Her family made her a special dinner, complete with a brownie-cake that read _Congratulations, Iris!_ and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Somehow, the latter made her sad.

Spring arrived, and with it so did prom season. 

Scott Evans asked her if she’d like to go. Having no reason to turn him down, she said yes. He wasn’t a terrible date, but Iris’ heart just wasn’t in it. 

When he leaned in for a kiss at the end of the night, she put a hand on his chest to stop him. “I’m sorry, Scott. I just… can’t.”

He gave her a puzzled look, and said, “I’ll drive you home.”

She sat on her bed in her gown, scrolling through her phone. She watched her friends’ stories from the night. 

The Central City schools were also having their proms that night. There were lots of pictures of friends from her old school all dressed up and funny videos of people dancing. Cisco had tagged a story at East Central City Academy. Barry had been right. Cisco’s dance moves were atrocious. 

She laughed quietly to herself and thumbed to the next segment. What she saw almost made her lose her dinner.

There was Barry, looking as pretty as she’d ever seen him, all dressed up in a classic black tux. He was busting one out on the dance floor and _wow_ could the boy ever move.

The worst part was, he wasn’t alone.

Tagged in the story, and twirling at the end of Barry’s arm was some leggy blonde, _@therealbeckycooper._

“Uhharghhh!” Iris cried out in frustration. She threw her phone across the room. Hard.

It bounced off the wall with a sickening crack and tumbled onto the floor.

“Fuck,” she swore under her breath as she went to pick it up. The screen was cracked in concentric and radial patterns, spiralling out from the location of impact. She clicked the home screen. It still worked, despite the obscured view.

“Dad,” she tried the next day.

“Yes, baby girl?” 

“My phone screen cracked.”

“Hmm.”

“Can I get a new one?”

“If you pay for it.”

Right. They weren’t a family where things came easily, where boats and cars were toys to be bestowed as birthday presents and apologies. Why had she even asked her father? She already knew the answer. It was a reminder that she did not live in the easy come world of those that summered in Summerville. She only happened to be adjacent to it for a short time, sampling that world by proximity to the rich and the super-wealthy. 

No matter. She had her ticket out of this stupid town and back to civilization. 

The end of May rapidly approached. Soon it would be June and there would only be a couple of weeks left of High School. Iris couldn’t wait for it to be over. She was going to be a whole new woman soon: a college girl making her way in the world. Once she got to university, she’d never have to think about Barry Allen ever again. 

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

But then, in the first week of June, something happened that tested her resolve. 

Her mother asked her to swing by the grocery store on the way home from school to pick up a few things. She was in the baking aisle, trying to remember whether it was baking powder or baking soda that her mother had asked for when she heard a woman’s voice say her name. 

“Iris?”

She turned, totally unprepared for the sight that confronted her: Nora Allen, casually pushing a shopping cart up beside her. 

Iris’ brain couldn’t seem to connect to her mouth for one painful moment. Eventually, she gathered her senses enough to say, “Oh! Hi.”

She thought maybe they’d just say ‘hello, how are you’ and be done with it, but before Iris knew what was happening, Nora stepped towards her and wrapped her in a great big bear hug. 

Iris was stunned. 

Nora held on until Iris returned the embrace. 

Iris found herself resting her forehead on Nora’s shoulder. Unexpectedly, she felt like she wanted to cry. 

When Nora finally let her go, she held onto Iris’ face, looked into her eyes and said, “It’s _so nice_ to see you.”

There was a lump forming in Iris’ throat. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready at all. 

“It’s -- nice to see you, too,” she managed to say.

“I’m _so_ sorry for what happened,” Nora said, not beating around the bush at all.

Iris shook her head. How much did she know?

“Henry shouldn’t have said what he did,” Barry’s mom continued.

So, she knew.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Allen,” Iris replied, even though it wasn’t anything close to okay. “It was a long time ago, now.”

Nora gave her a sad look like she wasn’t convinced. 

Iris wasn’t sure what else to say. There was only one thing she could think of, and it filled her with dread. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder. “Is Barry with you?”

Nora shook her head. “School finished for him last Thursday. He and Cisco decided to go backpacking around Europe for a couple of weeks. He kept saying he wanted to travel the world… be his own man.”

This news knocked the breath out of Iris. He’d taken what she said to heart.

“I’m sure he’ll be out at some point this summer,” Nora continued. “Would you like me to say hello?” Her question was hopeful. 

Iris hated to disappoint her. “Oh, no… that’s okay. We don’t... really talk anymore.”

Nora nodded sadly and surveyed Iris. “Are you walking home, sweetheart?” She eyed Iris’ backpack and handful of groceries. 

“Yeah, my mom just wanted me to grab a few things,” Iris explained.

“May I drive you home?” Nora asked. 

“Oh,” Iris stuttered. “No, that’s okay Mrs. Allen.”

“Please, Iris. Call me Nora.”

The lump in Iris’ throat melted away under the steady gaze of Nora’s kind eyes. They were the same eyes as Barry’s. 

She found herself agreeing to let Nora drive her home.

For the life of her, Iris couldn’t think of anything useful to say as she climbed into Nora’s Mercedes-Benz. They drove through town silently, until they reached the other side of Main Street and _River Bend_.

“You know, when Henry and I were first married we thought about buying this house,” Nora told her as they pulled into the driveway. “It was before his residency. He thought he was going to be a GP. We talked about getting away from the city and living a quiet life. He was going to set up a practice in town. I was going to open up my own brokerage.”

“What happened?” Iris asked.

Nora tilted her head from side to side. “It wasn’t any one thing in particular. He had opportunities, I had opportunities. And then Barry was born and it seemed like there were better choices for his education in the city.” She shrugged. “I think we lost ourselves to the hustle for a while. I’ve been trying to take steps back the last few years, spend more time with my son. Henry made different choices.”

Iris nodded as she listened. 

“We miss having you around,” Nora told her.

“We?” Iris asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Barry was so happy when he was spending time with you last summer,” Nora explained. “You were a bright light for him, especially with everything we were trying to sort through as a family. I’ve never seen my son as angry as he was with Henry after that night.” 

Iris stared out the front window. Her eyes were stinging with tears that she desperately tried to blink back. She thought she was over it. Clearly she wasn’t.

“It’s taken a long time for their relationship to recover,” Nora continued. “It’s been a hard year.”

“For everyone,” Iris said softly. 

Nora nodded. 

“But it _has_ recovered?” Iris asked.

Nora smiled faintly. “They’re getting there. Henry admitted he was wrong. They’re starting to talk.”

Iris didn’t wish for Barry to have a poor relationship with his father, but a part of her was still hurting from the words spoken that night. It was good they were getting through it, but she was still angry.

“Thank you for the ride home, Mrs. Allen,” she said, needing to get out of the car. “It was nice to see you again.”

“Anytime, Iris. I hope we’ll see each other again, soon.”

Iris mustered a smile, grabbed her things and climbed out of the car.

Nora had omitted the grisly details. She didn’t tell Iris about the screaming match between Henry and Barry when Barry had returned to the cabin, didn’t tell her about the ‘shape up or ship out’ ultimatum she’d given her husband while she held her crying son, didn’t tell her about the months long silent treatment Barry gave his father, or about the family therapy she’d dragged them to, just to get them speaking again.

She especially didn’t tell Iris how many times last fall Barry had asked his mom if he should just get in the car and drive to Summerville, how he wanted to try to figure everything out.

“Sweetheart, I know you’re hurting,” she’d counselled. “But if she’s not responding to you, you need to respect her.”


	16. Fallout

By the start of July, Iris was back to her usual summer schedule at Jitters. She was working a quiet afternoon shift when the front door jingled and Oliver Queen walked in.

“Oliver!” Iris greeted him happily. 

“Hey Iris, ” Oliver smiled widely. She rounded the counter and he gave her a hug. “How are you?”

“Good,” she lied. “How are you?”

“Happy it’s summer again,” he confessed.

“Nice to be back in the same place as Felicity full time?” She asked. 

“It  _ is  _ nice,” Oliver confirmed, unable to hide his happiness.

_ That’s cute _ , Iris thought listlessly. 

“How have you been since I last saw you?” He asked. 

Iris shrugged. “Oh you know. Nothing major to report. After your usual americano?”

“Please,” he confirmed. “And by nothing major, I assume you mean a scholarship to your college of choice?”

Iris smiled bashfully. “Yeah, I guess that’s kind of major,” she replied.

“Congratulations,” he smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Will I be seeing you and your family on the Fourth?” 

Iris had forgotten all about the Queens’ annual Fourth of July party. “Oh,” she said, as she the espresso dripped for his coffee. “I think so.”

“Good,” he replied. “Wouldn’t be a party without Iris West.”

She grinned and slid his drink across the counter.

As the Wests pulled up to the Queen estate, Iris couldn’t shake the surreal feeling that it had been a whole year since they last attended this party. She remembered how awestruck she was the first time they’d visited. Now, it seemed like old hat to watch half the town milling around the Queens’ lawn. 

It was bedecked in the usual Americana and there was enough food to feed the whole town.

Iris wandered with her family through the crowd. She followed Wally into the cue assembled under the food tent. Behind her, her mother and father followed. She waved at Linda and Felicity in the distance, indicating that she’d join them as soon as she could. The line inched slowly forward as half of Summerville filtered by the barbeques.

She was vaguely aware that her father had started a conversation with someone in the line behind them. She didn’t pay much attention to the drone of their voices, only picking up a bit of the conversation.

“How did you find the transition out of the city?” 

“It was the right choice,” Joe was saying. 

“Would you recommend it?”

“Yeah, I would.”

Just as Wally was about to get his turn, he spotted Jessie heading down toward the docks. His eyes lit up. He practically grabbed a burger off the grill before sprinting down toward the water, leaving Iris in the dust. She didn’t realize her brother could move that fast.

With Wally gone, it was finally Iris’ turn. She collected some food, then turned to wait for her mom and dad.

She almost dropped her plate when she saw with whom her father was speaking. 

It was Henry Allen.

Iris’ mind went blank as their eyes met.

Rage bubbled inside of her.

“This is my family,” Joe was saying, completely oblivious to the situation. “My wife, Francine. My son, Wally...” Joe looked around. “...was here a minute ago. And this is my daughter, Iris.”

Francine greeted Henry cordially. 

Iris stared daggers.

“Iris?” Her father prodded, noticing the strain.

“It’s okay, Detective,” Henry said. “Iris and I have met before.”

“Oh?”

Henry cleared his throat. “In fact, I think I owe your daughter an apology.”

Iris’ cheeks were burning. It was half anger, half mortification. She didn’t want to do this. Not now. Not in front of her family.

Her parents exchanged a curious glance.

“Iris knows my son, Barry,” Henry explained. He shifted uncomfortably. “I may have... derailed their budding romance.”

Strained looks crossed her parents’ faces. It wasn’t lost on them how sad she’d been since the night she’d come home crying. 

Francine was examining her daughter with empathy. 

Joe was scanning Henry with his detective look. 

“And how did you do that?” Joe asked, his voice hardening.

Iris knew her father was going into protective dad-cop mode. Under other circumstances, she might have made an effort to rein him in. 

Not this time.

“I said some regrettable things,” Henry admitted. “Iris, Barry was right, I didn’t know you and I shouldn’t have --”

“You’re an asshole,” Iris declared with vitriol.

“Iris…” her mother cautioned. 

Henry straightened his sport coat, then laughed a little. “It’s okay, Mrs. West, I deserve it.”

“Iris?” From behind Henry, Nora Allen approached. She wore her usual kind smile and gave Iris a hug. 

“Hi, Nora.” Iris greeted her.

“I was just apologizing for my behavior last summer,” Henry told his wife.

She nodded, like this was something they’d discussed. 

Iris was grateful for Nora’s influence, but skeptical of Henry’s sincerity. It would be easy for him to say sorry now, wouldn’t it? She and Barry were already broken up. That was what he wanted, right? For Barry to not be with Iris so that he could meet some basic bitch at an Ivy League school? Or maybe he’d already met someone else. Becky Collins, or whatever her name was.

Iris couldn’t deal with this anymore. She turned and started to walk away when Henry called after her.

“Iris, I just want you to know — my son isn’t me.”

She stopped and turned back to give him a scathing look. 

“He’s a much better man than I am.”

She just shook her head and kept walking. 

Ahead, she spotted Linda, who’d been watching from afar.

“What was that about?” Linda asked as Iris caught up with her.

“He was trying to apologize,” Iris replied.

“Really?” Linda looked skeptically over Iris’ shoulder back to where the Allens and Iris’ parents were still talking.

Iris couldn’t bear to think about what it might be that they were saying. 

Her father looked furious.

A whizz-bang sounded, warning the party-goers that the fireworks were about to start.

“Hey, fuck that guy,” Linda declared. “We’re at a party. We’re going to watch some fireworks, and then we’re going to go back to the bunkie with Oliver and Felicity and get drunk.”

Iris laughed. Leave it to Linda to find a solution. “That sounds great.”

She followed her friend to a log near the beach where Felicity and Oliver were already camped out.

Overhead the fireworks exploded in celebration. Iris tried her best to stay present. It really was wonderful to watch. She just wished there wasn’t this horrible cloud hanging over the evening.

“Now  _ that’s _ what I’m talking about,” exclaimed a familiar voice behind them. They all turned to see Cisco, who was ranting excitedly. “Party people! That is how you do the Fourth of July! Mmm, I can just feel the Independence!” 

Oliver laughed as he went to greet his friend. “Hey, Cisco! How was Europe?”

Iris looked to Linda, who seemed unfazed and unconcerned by Cisco’s presence. Linda wasn’t hung up on Cisco. They knew what it was they were getting into last summer. It was a hook up and nothing more.

“Oh!” Cisco exclaimed. “Let me tell you. The girls in Nice? So nice.”

“Is that right?” Oliver asked with a smirk. 

“Yeah, but not a nice as these ladies,” Cisco attempted a save as he spotted Linda. “Linda, Felicity, Iris. So good to see you all.” He gave them all hugs in quick succession, hanging onto Linda for just a moment too long. She rolled her eyes and chuckled under her breath. 

Iris laughed. She tried to keep the smile on her face when she realized with alarm, that if Cisco was back, then that meant…

Her eyes scanned up the lawn and over the crowd. As far as she could see, it was just a throng of unremarkable faces. No one matched the particular profile she was searching for.

“Where’s Allen?” Oliver asked Cisco, as if reading Iris’ mind. 

Felicity and Linda glanced at Iris with concern. 

“He’s around somewhere,” Cisco replied, gesturing vaguely towards the masses.

The beating of Iris’ heart quickened in her chest.

“Cool. Well, we were going to go hang out at the bunkie,” Oliver replied. “You want to come?”

“Hell yeah,” Cisco agreed. 

The group started up the hill, meandering through the crowd as they headed for the tree line. As they reached the edge of the woods, Iris inexplicably looked back across the lawn.

In that moment, time seemed to stop. 

The masses parted, leaving an open path. Her eyes followed the trail to a pair of worn black chucks. 

Gangly legs.

Burgundy sweater. 

Big smile. 

Pretty face.

Her heart stopped. 

Barry was laughing casually as he chatted with Diggle and Lyla. As if sensing eyes on him, his gaze followed the same part in the crowd. 

All the way back to Iris. 

Iris couldn’t move. She couldn’t feel her feet or hands. All she could see was Barry, and the way the smile on his face disappeared the moment he laid eyes on her.

If this were a movie, Iris thought, maybe they would have run at each other. She’d jump into his arms. He would pick her up and twirl her around. He would say something like, “I’ve missed you so much.” She would reply, “I missed you, too.”

Then, they’d kiss.

But this wasn’t a movie.

So, all Iris could do was stay rooted to the spot as he held her gaze.

When her stomach churned enough to feel nauseated, Iris remembered how to use her feet. She turned and traipsed towards the bunkie where the others had gone. 

She breezed by her friends, who were already gathering around the picnic table on the porch and in through the front door.

“Iris, where are you going?” Felicity asked.

“Just grabbing a drink,” Iris called over her shoulder. But instead of heading for the fridge, Iris headed down the hallway, seeking out a place of solitude. 

She found one in the bunkie’s master bedroom. She sat on the far side of the bed and tried to breathe through the knot constricting in her esophagus. The more she focused on it, the worse it got. If she couldn’t breathe through it, there was only one thing left to do. 

She cried.

She reached into the pocket of her dress for her broken phone and opened up her photos. Habitually, she scrolled to the album she kept of her photos with Barry. She blinked down at them through her tears. 

Despite the cracks in her screen, it was impossible to miss just how happy they’d been last summer. She smiled and ran her thumb over one of her favourite pictures. She’d give anything to go back there. 

She choked and heaved, willing the knot to go away. She hadn’t cried like this since just after they’d broken up. She’d just buried it deep down and told herself that she was going to be fine, that she didn’t need him.

She wasn’t fine.

When the knot softened, she focused on deep breaths. The tears were still coming, but they were quieter now. She let them fall silently.

A floorboard creaked behind her.

“What happened to your phone?” Asked a soft voice.

She clicked the screen off and leapt to her feet, shoving the device into her pocket and hastily wiping her eyes. “Oh, um, I dropped it.” She said, backing against the far wall.

Barry stood with his hand on the door handle, examining her with a look that could give her father’s detective stare a run for his money. 

In closer proximity, Iris wondered if he’d grown taller. His shoulders seemed a little broader, his jaw a little more pronounced. 

He nodded and stepped forward into the room. As he let go of the door, its weight inched it almost closed behind him. He slowly rounded the foot of the bed, running his hand over the wood of the corner post.

She wondered for a moment if he would approach her, but there was this unseen energy between them. It was like they were the wrong sides of two magnets.

“I was going to ask you how you’ve been,” he began, not entirely meeting her eyes. “But I wonder if I should be asking if you’re alright?”

Iris wiped her eyes again. “Oh, this? It’s just… allergies.”

Barry frowned. “Right.”

“Yeah, you know. Ragweed.”

The edges of his mouth flitted up hesitantly. “Ragweed doesn’t bloom ‘til August.”

Iris shifted uncomfortably, caught in her fib. At a loss for anything else to do, she shrugged. “How was Europe?” She asked. 

“It was good,” he said simply. “Beautiful.”

Iris nodded. She found herself wishing she could have been there with him.

As if reading her mind, he said, “You would have loved it.”

She smiled faintly.

“Did you… pick a college?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

He waited for her to tell him more. 

She couldn’t seem to find the words. 

“How’s Becky?” She asked.

His brows furrowed. “Who?”

Iris swore internally. She didn’t even know why she’d asked that. “Did you pick a college?” She asked, turning his own question back to him.

He nodded. 

“Hudson?” She asked.

He shook his head.

“Where, then?”

“CCU,” he said.

Iris’ heart pounded in her chest.  _ No, no, no, no, no _ . 

She couldn’t handle trying to avoid him on campus. Why would he do that? He knew that’s where she wanted to go.

“Why?” She demanded.

“They have the best forensic science program,” he shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. “And… I thought… maybe you would --”

Iris couldn’t help it, she started crying all over again.

Barry stepped towards her, concern spread across his face. “Iris. Please… why are you crying?” 

He placed a soft hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him through her tears. He was too tall, she decided. It wasn’t fair. 

“Why would you do that?” She asked.

Barry just blinked at her.

“I’m not supposed to factor in,” she said. 

He shook his head. “I had other reasons.”

“You never responded,” she sobbed, referring to the messages she’d sent at Christmas. 

He breathed deeply through his nose as his brows knit. “You didn’t either.” 

“I thought you hated me.”

Barry shook his head. “I could never hate you.”

He kept inching forward into her space like somehow the proximity would stop her from crying. Before she knew it, her head was against his chest and his arms were around her. He squeezed her tightly and rested his chin on her head.

She sobbed softly into his chest. 

He was so warm and solid. 

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” she said into his sweater. The words were like knives in her throat. It was the first time she’d been honest about it. It was hard enough to admit it to herself, let alone say it out loud. Still, it was easier when she wasn’t looking at him.

He squeezed her again. “I never stopped thinking about you,” he replied into the top of her head.

She craned her head up to look at him. 

Her memory of his eyes didn’t do him justice. They were this unreal shade of viridian.

His breath softly fanned against her face.

Just a millimeter more and their lips would be touching.

It was like the opposite sides of the magnets finally won out.

She pressed up on her toes and met his mouth with hers.

He bent his knees briefly, hooked her legs up around his waist, spun them around and tossed her sideways over the bed. 

Gone was the uncertain and exploratory nature of discovering each other from last summer. It was like the world was ending and the last thing they were ever going to get to do was each other.

In two swift movements, he hiked the skirt of her dress up around her waist then peeled off the underwear underneath. She fumbled frantically with the button on his jeans. Barry maintained just enough wherewithal to pull his wallet out of his back pocket and grab a condom from it before Iris pulled him out of his boxers. They’d worry about their clothes later. For now, they just needed to be connected. 

Iris took the square foil from his hands and torn the side open, slipping the condom from its package. She stroked his length, placed the condom over his head and rolled it down his shaft. He groaned as he climbed over her and pushed inside of her.

She gasped for breath as he sucked at her neck, lifting her knees up while his hands found their way under her bum. He held her there as he rocked into her.

It was too soon to say if she was happy, if they were relieved, if things were going to be alright. The only thing Iris knew in that moment was that she needed this. This and more.

She trailed her lips from his collarbone up the skin of his neck to his jaw. He made a deep sound in his throat as she savored the way he tasted. God, she’d missed his skin in her mouth.

Their rhythm was steady. It wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t far off. It was just as needful and pawing as ten months of pining over each other should be. 

Neither of them seemed to remember this wasn’t either of their homes. So when Oliver’s voice called down the hallway, “Iris? Barry? Where did you guys --” they were both startled. 

A few things happened in quick succession. First, they realized the door wasn’t fully closed. Second, because of this, Oliver didn’t knock the way he might have otherwise. Third, instead of pulling out Barry just thrust forward and clutched Iris tighter. She buried her head into his neck as he covered her as much as he could before he looked up over her head and yelled, “Get the hell out!”

“Oh my Go—okay!” Oliver replied, half laughing as he quickly closed the door.

Iris should have been mortified, but she found she couldn’t care less. She started giggling uncontrollably. 

“Are you okay?” Barry asked, half smiling in response to her giggles as he nuzzled her cheek and kissed her. 

“Yeah,” she breathed through her laughter. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine.”

He nodded and rested his forehead against hers while they caught their breath. 

It was the breathing that reminded Iris where they were before the interruption. Slowly, with every inhale and exhale, they synced. She couldn’t get enough of the way Barry’s hips moved as he breathed deep, heaving breaths in time with her. 

Somehow he managed to wrangle her dress over her head. She similarly disposed of his soft burgundy sweater, tossing it back over their heads as he leaned into her. 

He hitched her legs a little higher around his waist, thrusting into her with a steady rhythm. Her hands ran over his back before clutching his shoulder and wrapping an arm tightly around his waist. He held her lips in his as he drove them higher, eager to have all of her. Happily, she gave it to him. 

She was no longer sure where she ended and he began. They were just one being, the way it was always meant to be between them, the way it should have been before everything that happened.

She greedily sucked on his mouth until they were both gasping, both shuddering, both trembling and finishing together. 

They kept kissing slowly as they came down from the high.

She squeezed him tightly against her until he had to shift off of her.

Thankfully, this time there was kleenex and a waste bin in the bedroom. He sorted out the condom, then returned to Iris’ side while she pulled her dress back over her head. 

In the wake of the afterglow, reality set in. Sheepishly, Iris couldn’t believe she’d just had sex at a party where half the town, her family, and all of her friends were there. 

Barry was unconcerned. In fact, he seemed relieved, half smiling as he buttoned his jeans. He kept planting soft, tender kisses on her shoulder. 

Uncertainty was bubbling inside of Iris. There was so much they hadn’t said. She knew they needed to talk, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready.

“My parents are probably wondering where I am,” she said distantly, straightening out the skirt of her dress.

He nodded into her shoulder as he placed another kiss. “Mine too.”

“Do you think... Oliver told everyone?” She asked, eyeing the door and wondering what their exit was going to be like.

Barry shook his head. “He wouldn’t. He’s had his own share of indiscretions.”

Iris panicked. “Is that what this was? An indiscretion?”

Barry looked horrified. “No! I just meant—”

But Iris’ defence mechanisms were already going up. “Maybe we should go out separately,” she suggested.

Barry deflated. “If that’s what you want.”

“It might be for the best.”

“Okay,” he agreed, reluctantly.

She nodded and without another look, left the bedroom.

She avoided Oliver’s knowing glance as she stepped back out onto the porch and brushed past their friends.

“Iris? You okay?” Linda called after her.

“I’m fine, I’ll see you later,” Iris replied simply over her shoulder. 

She raced from the woods and back out onto the lawn. When she located her parents, she ran for her dad.

Without any explanation, she launched herself into his chest.

He took her in his arms, surprised, but steadfast. “Baby girl?” 

“Yeah?”

“You okay?”

She nodded her head into his chest. “Can we go home now?”

He nodded.


	17. A Good Snuggle

Joe nudged Iris as they walked in through the door of _River Bend_. “You want some decaf?” He asked, while Wally and Francine made their way upstairs to get ready for bed. 

“Okay,” Iris agreed.

She followed her father into the kitchen, sat at the breakfast table and watched him fix the promised pot of coffee. It dripped slowly, each drop ticking away silent seconds. 

“So... are you going to tell me?” He asked as he poured the coffee into two mugs. 

Iris gave her father a quizzical look as he set both mugs down on the table. He pulled a chair out to sit beside her. 

“What really happened that night?”

“What did Henry say happened?” Iris asked, taking a sip from the mug in front of her.

Joe breathed deeply. “That he made some inappropriate assumptions, that he didn’t know you… et cetera, et cetera.” He studied his daughter. “But that’s not the whole story, is it?”

Iris looked down at her lap and shook her head. “It started with a few small things. He acted like he didn’t remember meeting me briefly at the Queens’ one time. Then he made this dig asking if I was even planning to go to college…there were some other things, as well.”

Joe listened intently, a concerned frown on his face.

“It wasn’t a great start to the night, and Barry and I just wanted to spend some time together before we had to say goodbye.” This part was hard to tell her father. She knew he would fill in the blanks. 

“Henry found us together in Barry’s room and he was…  _ so _ angry. Not just that we were alone, but who Barry was alone with. He wanted to know why Barry would get mixed up with a ‘trollop townie’ when he was going to be going off to an ivy league school.”

When she’d told Linda this story shortly after it had happened, she couldn’t recount it without crying. Now, it just made her feel numb.

“He said that?” Joe asked. 

Iris nodded. 

“What did Barry do?” 

“Yelled at him. Said not to talk about me like that, that he didn’t know me.”

Joe scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Well, that’s something. And then?”

“Barry drove me home. I said that maybe his dad was right. Then I ended it.”

“You really think Henry was right?”

Iris sighed. “Of course not. I think that… Henry envisioned Barry bringing someone with a different complexion home.”

Joe hummed thoughtfully. 

“How was I supposed to go visit him in the city with that hanging over our heads?” Iris asked her father.

Joe leaned back in his chair and sighed. “And this evening?”

Iris shifted uncomfortably in her seat but didn’t answer.

“You saw Barry?”

She nodded. 

“Did you talk?”

“Not enough,” she admitted, swallowing the knot in her throat as she remembered the brief comfort of the weight of him on top of her.

“You still love him?” Joe asked.

Iris nodded. 

“Does he still love you?” 

Iris didn’t know how to answer that question. He said he didn’t hate her, that he never stopped thinking about her. He seemed to need her just as much as she’d needed him. But it had all been too much. Self-preservation kicked in, and she found she couldn’t stick around the bunkie to find out for certain. “Maybe,” she said. “I don’t know.”

“Sadly, this world has an overabundance of Henrys,” Joe remarked. “But you can’t let them stop you from going after what makes you happy. You’ve got just as much right to take up space as he does. And at your age… if you and Barry still love each other after everything that’s happened, and all the time that’s passed well… that kind of love? It’s rare.”

“I wish it were that simple, Dad.”

Joe laughed humorlessly. “Simple. Maybe the fact that everything else is so complicated is the best reason why the love between the two of you should stay simple. Now, my daughter’s happiness will always come first. But that night, when he was here at the door, asking to speak to you… the look in his eyes was so... genuine.

“And this evening, I witnessed the moment you two saw first saw each other. Let me tell you, that boy was after you like a lightning bolt the moment you turned away.”

Tears were trailing down her cheeks again. “Really?”

“Mhmm,” Joe confirmed. “Look, only you can decide what’s right for you, but I see how miserable you are apart. If being together would make you happy, maybe... that’s worth a shot.”

Iris wiped her cheeks, mulling it all over. 

Her father drained the last few drops of coffee from his mug. “Now, we’d both better get to bed if we’re all going to that boat show Wally’s been raving about for months in the morning.”

Right. Iris had forgotten about that. 

“Dad?” She asked tentatively while he stood up. “Is it okay if I sit this one out?”

He examined her thoughtfully. “All right,” he conceded, patting her shoulder. “Try to get some rest.” 

She nodded.

Iris saw her family off in the morning. Thankfully, no one pressed her about why she wanted to stay home. Even Wally, who’d missed the whole encounter with Henry had the good sense not to ask why she was so blue. 

She found herself wandering aimlessly around the house.

Her preoccupations were interrupted by the buzzing of her phone in her pocket. Linda was trying to FaceTime her. She thought about rejecting the call, but decided it would only delay the inevitable interrogation.

“Hey, Linda,” Iris answered.

“Hey!” Linda replied, leaning over her phone. There was a pregnant pause while Linda decided whether or not she wanted to make polite conversation before she got to the real reason for her call. “What happened last night?”

So, no polite conversation, then.

Iris sat in the window seat that overlooked the driveway and leaned her head against the glass. She sighed heavily and said, “I don’t even know.”

“Are you sure? Because Barry came out of the bunkie after you did and practically collapsed.”

“What do you mean?” Iris asked.

“I mean, the boy was devastated.”

Iris was silent. What could she even say?

“Oliver went over and asked him if he was okay. He shook his head and then they disappeared for the rest of the night. Guy talk, Felicity said. So, I figured something must’ve happened.”

Iris breathed deeply. “We had sex.”

Linda blinked at her. “What?”

Iris didn’t reply. She knew Linda had heard her.

“Like, last night?” Linda clarified. “In the bunkie?”

Iris nodded.

“Why did you run away?” Linda asked.

“I don’t know,” Iris answered. “It was all just so desperate… I’m not sure either of us meant for it to happen… it just sort of did.”

“Do you regret it?” Linda asked. 

Iris thought carefully as she stared at the image of her friend’s concerned face.  _ Did  _ she regret the sex? Or did she just regret the way she felt afterwards? Would she have done things differently if given the chance? Or was being with him in that moment so important that she would do it all over again.

A glinting light pierced through the window, disrupting her thoughts as it flashed into her eyes. She looked out onto the driveway. A little red chevy had just pulled up to the house.

Iris’ heart pounded in her chest as she watched Barry nervously get out of his car.

“Linda?” Iris asked, her voice trailing off. “Can I call you back?” 

“Promise?” Linda asked.

“Promise,” Iris replied. 

Without any further pretense, Iris ended the call. 

She wasn’t sure if Barry could see her sitting behind the sheers as he climbed the steps of the front porch. He was wringing his hands and muttering to himself like he was practising what he was going to say. 

She leaned her head back against the wall and waited for the doorbell to ring.

When it did, her feet carried her to the front door. She opened it just wide enough to look through. 

He seemed surprised to see her, despite the fact that it was he who had arrived at her house.

“Hi,” she greeted him.

“Hi,” he replied, looking down at her.

She waited for him to speak, but he just kept staring at her, as though he’d forgotten where he was.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

He shifted his weight sheepishly from one foot to the other. “I was driving by and…” he motioned to the road, then awkwardly abandoned the gesture in favour of scratching the back of his neck. “I was hoping we could… talk?”

Iris looked him up and down, trying to calculate whether or not this would end in tears. It was no use. Looking at him just reminded her how attractive he was. 

“Okay,” she agreed hesitantly. If he’d come to see her, the least she could do was listen to what he had to say. She stepped back from the door and let it swing open.

Barry cautiously crossed the threshold, looking sideways into the living room as he entered the house. 

She knew he was nervous to see her family. “My parents took Wally to the boat show,” she explained. “So, it’s just me.”

“Oh,” he breathed, looking relieved.

“Do you… want something to drink?” She asked, remembering her social graces and looking for something to do that would ease the tension.

He nodded and swallowed. “Okay.” 

She led him into the kitchen where she pulled open the fridge. “We have some lemonade or I guess... water. I could make some coffee or tea if you want?”

“Lemonade sounds good,” he replied, taking a seat at the breakfast table. “Thank you.”

She nodded and pulled the pitcher out of the fridge before going to the cupboard and taking down two glasses. After filling them both, she set one in front of him. The other she placed at the end of the table, where she took the seat perpendicular to him.

Barry sipped cautiously from the glass, placing it down carefully, rotating it pensively between his fingers. 

Iris watched him, waiting for him to speak. 

The longer the silence went on, the more strained it became. 

She found herself distracted by a freckle on his neck, half covered by the collar of his red summer bomber jacket. He looked like he’d had a hair cut recently and had shaved that morning. She could vaguely smell his aftershave. It was driving her crazy.

They were back to feeling like the wrong sides of two magnets. The strangest part of that was the knowledge that they knew each other so intimately, had seen each other in a special way, done things together just the two of them. 

Finally, in a soft voice Barry said, “I’m sorry about last night.”

Iris found her heart sinking. 

He regretted it. 

He was staring down at the table, not meeting her eyes. “When I imagined seeing you again… I…” he shook his head like he wasn’t sure what else to say. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Iris nodded automatically, not really sure if she was in agreement or not. She’d pictured their reunion a thousand times. It often included sex. Only, when she pictured it, she thought she would have felt more relieved afterwards. She thought the outcome would have been clearer. 

“I’m sorry about my Dad, too,” he continued after a deep breath. “For what he said, how hurtful it was. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know,” Iris replied quietly. “It wasn’t your fault.” She knew it in her bones. No matter what Henry thought of her, Barry’s love had always been pure.

“Wasn’t it though?” Barry asked, looking at her with tears in his eyes. “Maybe if I hadn’t brought you over that night… maybe if I’d never introduced you… maybe we wouldn’t have…” He swallowed. 

Iris’ throat constricted painfully. She’d spent the year missing him. Barry had spent the year thinking it was all his fault. 

A hot flash of anger pumped through her veins at Henry. Not only had he hurt her, he’d hurt his son, too. His brand of paternalism was good for no one.

It wasn’t like they could have avoided Henry entirely. If he was going to react that way, not bringing her to the end of summer party wouldn’t have done anything to shield her from him. She’d rather it had happened when she had the option to go home, rather than on some unfortunate weekend when she would have found herself stranded in Central City. 

“I was going to have to meet him sometime,” Iris said aloud.

Barry nodded, trying to wipe his eyes discreetly and failing. 

He crossed his arms in front of him and leaned forward onto the table. “I know there’s no going back,” he said. “But, I wanted to ask you if… I was hoping that... we could be friends?”

For some reason, this suggestion made Iris feel sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to just be friends with Barry. 

“I mean,” he continued, “We’re friends with some of the same people... and I guess we might run into each other on campus sometimes?”

She nodded, not wanting to be rude.

He returned the acknowledgement, then sat staring at his lemonade. 

“Okay,” he said finally. “Well. Thank you for...” He gestured to the half-empty glass and made to get out of his chair. 

That was it then. The conversation was over. He was going to leave. 

Iris didn’t want him to go. He’d already been gone for too long.

“I wasn’t sorry,” she said.

He paused and turned back to her with a questioning look. 

“About last night,” she explained. “I wasn’t sorry.”

For a millisecond, his brows knit together. 

“I missed you,” she said, a knot forming in her throat.

“I missed you, too,” he replied, sadly. 

“Please don’t go,” she begged him, her voice wobbling in her throat.

He shook his head, agreeing that he wouldn’t.

She got up from her chair and went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. 

He held her firm and rested his chin on her head. 

The knot in her esophagus softened. 

Just like yesterday, he was warm and solid. He smelled nice.

They stood there for who knows how long, holding each other. Occasionally, Iris nuzzled her nose into the t-shirt under his jacket. Sometimes, he stroked her hair. The urgency of their previous hookup was replaced by a fragile sense of contentment. For the moment it was enough to just be together. 

They could have stayed like that for eternity if it wasn’t for the growing ache in Iris’ legs. Reluctantly, she released her hold on him, only to continue hanging on to his hands. 

“Stay for a while?” She asked softly.

He nodded. 

Silently, she pulled him towards the door of the kitchen.

He followed her up the stairs to her room. 

When they entered, he looked around with the same mesmerized look he had the first time he’d visited. She closed the door behind him and sat on the bed. 

Tentatively, he sat beside her. 

He was radiating warmth, and all Iris wanted was to touch him. 

Tired of holding her head up, she leaned it sideways onto his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her with one hand. With the other, he held a palm out towards her. She touched her finger tips to his, then threaded their hands together, clasping his hand in hers. 

Somehow they ended up laying back, holding each other chastely. Iris rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes and listened to the soothing beat of his heart against her eardrum. The sound was incomparable. For months she’d waited to see him, to hold him. Now he was here. The steady beat, beat, was a reminder that this was real. She focused on the rhythm of his life force. 

For the first time in a long time she relaxed, until finally she drifted off to sleep.

When Iris woke, the sun was gold with late afternoon light. From downstairs there came the clink of pots and pans, the thud of cupboards opening and closing and the light chatter of her parents.

She sat up with a start, realizing that Barry’s car was still in the driveway. 

Then again, if her parents were worried, surely they would have checked on them already. She allowed herself to relax back into Barry’s chest and squeezed him gently. He’d fallen asleep, too. 

He stirred, roused by her movement. His eyes fluttered open for a moment and he yawned, squeezing her into his ribs as he came to. 

“I think my family is home,” she whispered.

He twisted his head towards the door, looking as panicked as she felt a moment ago. 

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “If they were worried, they’d’ve come to check on us by now.”

He looked at her with uncertainty, but nodded. 

She wrapped her arms around him and propped her chin up on his chest. It was nice to look at him in real life, to see his pretty face with her own eyes, not just in a picture on her cracked phone. 

An embarrassed warmth crept into her cheeks as she remembered how her phone broke in the first place. Then, acid crept into her belly. She was filled with a burning desire to know. 

“Bear?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” 

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Okay.”

She swallowed and pressed her ear back down against his ribs. “Were you with anyone since I saw you last summer?”

The beating of his heart was still steady against her eardrum. 

“No,” he said. “You?”

Iris shook her head, no.

“Can I ask you something?” He returned.

“All right.”

“How would you have felt if I had?”

Iris buried her nose in his t-shirt. She didn’t want to think about it. It was hard to admit it to herself. Instead, she sat up and fished for her phone in her back pocket before handing it to him. 

He took it with a puzzled look on his face. “I don’t understand.”

She took it back from him and ran her thumb over the broken screen, like she’d done so many times before. 

“It was Prom night,” she explained. “Cisco posted this story of you dancing with a girl. I … might have thrown this across the room.” 

He took the device back from her, examining the cracks with raised eyebrows. “That’s why you asked about Becky?”

Iris shrugged sheepishly. 

“She sat beside me in Chemistry,” Barry explained. “We were just lab partners.”

“And in Nice?” Iris asked, unable to hide her jealousy.

He frowned, not comprehending.

“Cisco said…”

“Oh. Cisco had a flirtation with a girl at the hostel. I don’t think anything even happened.”

Iris brought her legs into a cross-legged position and nodded. “How would you have felt if  _ I _ had?” Iris asked him.

Barry looked at her phone before handing it back to her. “About the same,” he admitted.

Iris gave a small laugh. “You know… friends aren’t supposed to get jealous over each other,” she suggested.

He shook his head wistfully. “No,” he agreed. “They’re not.”

“They’re not supposed to have random sex, either.”

“No,” he agreed.

“Guess we’re not off to a very good start at being friends, then,” she replied.

“I guess not,” he said, fixing her with an intense stare. 

There was a soft knock at the door.

“Yeah?” Iris called.

“Iris, dinner’s ready if you two want some,” her father’s voice said calmly from the otherside. 

She’d been right, then. They weren’t in trouble. 

“Are you hungry?” Iris asked Barry.

“A little,” he admitted.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?”

He nodded. 

Iris couldn’t be sure if dinner was perfect or a disaster. Wally had gone to Harry and Jessie’s for dinner, so it was just the four of them. Whether this was better or worse was unclear. Barry sat in Wally’s seat across from her at the table. Iris couldn’t decide if it felt completely normal or entirely unnatural.

Barry was as polite as ever with her parents. Every address he made was prefaced or appended with ‘Sir’ or ‘Mrs. West’. In turn, Joe and Francine were making an effort to be extra kind to him. They were well aware that the two teens were trying to sort through something heavy. 

Her parents didn’t try to keep them at the table any longer than was necessary. Iris grabbed their plates as soon as they were finished. Barry thanked her parents for the meal, then the two disappeared into the hallway.

It seemed to Iris that there were two options as they stood by the stairs. Either she could thank him for coming over and he would go home, or…

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” She asked.

Absentmindedly, he checked his phone, making sure his parents weren’t wondering where he was. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed. 

They climbed the stairs back to her room. When the door closed behind them, there was an unspoken understanding that the small space was their safe haven. Somehow they found themselves curled up again, holding each other innocently, all pretense of watching a movie abandoned.

There were no interruptions, no suggestions from Iris’ parents that Barry should go home. So as the light faded from the sky, they stayed there, squeezing occasionally, adjusting a limb that had fallen asleep, taking turns as big and little spoon in her tiny twin size bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will have a happy ending, I promise! They just need to work through some things.


	18. Bad Habits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, life has been weird. Hope to get more writing done soon.
> 
> Here's a short chapter to tide you over. 
> 
> Also, happy season 6 premiere day :)

Little did Iris know, the snuggling would become something of a habit.

Her father didn’t say anything the next morning when Iris saw Barry off. They were still dressed in their clothes from the night before as she walked him down the porch steps to his car.

“I’ll see you later?” Barry asked her.

Iris nodded, not knowing exactly when that would be, but knowing they were bound to run into one another sometime.

‘Sometime’ came a few days later, when everyone was invited to Oliver’s for a bonfire. 

Iris, a newly minted driver, offered to take Felicity and Linda to the Queen Estate. Excitement was in the air as the girls anticipated seeing the whole group together again. As it turned out, the only person missing was Diggle, who needed to return to training after the Fourth of July. 

For the most part, Iris and Barry spent the evening on opposite sides of the fire, chatting casually with their friends, pretending they weren’t shooting heated glances at each other at every possible opportunity. 

Iris watched closely as Barry chatted with Caitlin. She wondered momentarily if there was anything between them. But that was silly, wasn’t it? Barry and Caitlin were just friends. They’d never demonstrated feelings for each other that weren’t purely platonic.

Barry focused on Iris with equal attention when Eddie approached to ask her how her year had gone. She couldn’t help but flirt a little with him. It wasn’t because she was interested. She just enjoyed the way it made Barry squirm out of the corner of her eye.

When it got late, and Iris had consumed enough beer to feel pleasantly fuzzy, she sought out a spare bunk in one of the guest rooms like she’d done so many times before. Sleep was about to take hold when there came a soft knock at the door. Reluctantly, she stumbled off the bottom bunk and went to see who it was.

Barry was standing on the other side of the door, looking equally as hazy. “I just wanted to say goodnight,” he said. 

Iris nodded. “Okay. Goodnight.”

“Sorry we didn’t get to talk more,” he mumbled. “Friends talk, right?”

“Yeah, they do.”

“Okay,” he pouted. It made him look adorably confused. 

“You headed home?” She asked him, blinking through bleary eyes.

“Yeah, I was just going to boat across the bay. We’re back at our cottage now. Or, not back, it’s new. But you know what I mean.”

“You’re going to boat after you’ve been drinking?” Iris asked.

He shrugged. “I only had a couple of beers.” 

“So have I and I’m not driving home,” Iris replied.

He blinked stupidly at her. She wondered if he’d had more than a few. It was always hard to tell with him. He never drank himself stupid. 

Still, a headline flashed in her mind: _Surgeon’s Son Drowned in Tragic Boating Accident_. 

It would be irresponsible to send him on his way.

“If I invite you in here, we’re not having sex,” she said resolutely.

“Of course not,” he agreed, looking horrified that she would even suggest it. “Friends don’t have random sex,” he mumbled.

She rolled her eyes with a small chuckle and pulled him inside by the wrist. The room went dim as she closed the door behind him. 

“I’m on the bottom,” Iris announced, inching forward through the darkness back to her bed. 

“I thought you said --” Barry started, confused.

“Bottom _bunk_ , Barry.”

“Oh, right. Yeah. Of course.” 

She lay back and watched the gangly outline of tipsy Barry try to climb the ladder to the top bunk. When he stumbled backward unsuccessfully, he laughed and uttered a quiet, “Oops.”

Iris sighed. What a disaster.

“Come here, you goof,” she offered after watching his second and third attempt.

“I’m not a goof,” he countered, with mock offense.

“I was just kidding,” she soothed.

Their hands found each other in the darkness. Iris guided him to join her. Ungracefully, he made his way down to the mattress, bonking both his head and feet on opposite bedposts. 

“I’m too long,” he narrated with a giggle.

“Yes you are,” she replied in amusement.

“I meant for the bed,” he teased.

“So did I.”

“Oh,” he replied, sounding deflated.

Finally, he settled into a little spoon. Iris curled up behind him, an arm wrapped innocently around his stomach.

“Do friends have sleepovers?” Barry asked, just as she was fading out of consciousness.

Iris thought about it. “Sometimes,” she replied.

“Okay,” he sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

It happened again a few days later. Everyone went to Town Square for the annual _Movie in the Park_ (this year’s screening was _Back to the Future_ ). After the movie, they took a stroll down to the _Soda Shoppe_ where Barry and Felicity served everyone ice cream, even though it was after hours. Barry looked dejected when Felicity beat him to serving Iris her regular scoop of mint chip. 

When Iris was about to head home, Barry caught her before she slipped out the door. “Can I drive you home?” He asked, something urgent in his eyes.

She looked him up and down, trying to gauge his intention. It was hard to say no to him when he was looking at her like that. She nodded her head in agreement.

When they arrived in the driveway of _River Bend_ , she turned to him and said, “Thanks.”

He nodded. “Have a good night.”

She reached for the door handle, pausing before she got out of the car. Would he ask her to wait? She counted to three, hoping that he might. When the seconds passed, she decided that he wasn’t going to hold her back. 

Deep down, she felt disappointed. She thought the look on his face earlier meant he wanted to have a moment alone so he could kiss her.

Perhaps he’d been serious about this friendship thing, after all. 

It was hard to think of him leaving, to think of the night ending without some intimacy between them. 

She surveyed the house. All the lights were off, except for the one on the front porch. Her parents were probably asleep by now.

“Do you want to come in?” She asked.

Barry looked at her in surprise. “Wouldn’t your parents be mad?” 

She shrugged. “I’ll risk it.” 

They’d been less strict with her since she finished high school. They seemed to be realizing that she was growing up and would have to make her own decisions. 

Barry turned off the car and they crept inside the house, quiet as mice. 

As they crawled into Iris’ bed, there was no need to clarify the boundaries. They both understood. Snuggling was all that would be happening. It was just comforting and soothing to hold each other. 

They woke at the first light of dawn.

“I should go,” Barry whispered softly to her. “Before your parents wake up.” 

Iris nodded, sitting up and watching him put his sneakers back on before he snuck soundlessly out of the house. 

It kept happening. 

Whether they were crashing at Oliver’s or Barry was driving her home, somehow they kept ending up in the same bed. It was wonderful and beautiful to be with one another, but the longer it went on the more maddening and frustrating it became. Iris wasn’t sure how much longer they could continue before she would be tempted to violate their half-spoken boundaries. 

It didn’t help to discover one night as she swung a leg over Barry’s that he was hard. She tried to put it out of her mind, tried to ignore the burning blood pumping through her veins, tried to rationalize that he was hard because it was an autonomic reaction and not because he wanted to get with her. 

He’d said he wanted to be friends. She was trying to respect that.

One morning, when Iris snuck Barry downstairs to the front door, she thought he looked as if he might kiss her goodbye. All too soon, he seemed to remember that wasn’t part of the deal. He murmured a quiet goodbye, then ducked out the front door.

As soon as it closed behind him, her father’s voice echoed out of the living room. “Good morning,” he said.

Iris jumped. “Jesus, Dad. You scared me.”

Joe was holding a cup of coffee and watching Barry get into his car through the front window. “You two make up?” He asked.

Iris shifted uncomfortably. What was she going to tell him? “We decided to be friends,” she said, honestly.

“But he stayed the night?” Joe asked. “Or should I say… nights?”

Iris’ cheeks burned. “We weren’t doing anything, I swear.”

“I see that,” Joe said, motioning to the clothes she’d been wearing since the night before. “Iris, the only people you two are fooling are yourselves. You better figure out what you want, and do it fast or somebody’s going to get hurt.”

Iris frowned. What did she want?

She didn’t want Barry to date anyone else. She wanted him to stay the night, every night. She didn’t just want to snuggle. 

But it was hard to see a way forward while Henry loomed.


	19. The Dinner Party

Iris pushed the few remaining globs of vanilla milkshake around the bottom of a tall glass with a red and white straw. She was sitting at the counter of the  _ Soda Shoppe _ , between Oliver and Linda. They were waiting for Felicity to finish her shift so that they could boat back to Oliver’s for an evening hangout. 

“What’s up with you?” Linda asked her, glancing over at her friend’s sullen face.

“Are you sad because we ran out of mint chip?” Felicity asked, leaning over the counter.

Iris shook her head. “No, the milkshake is fine.”

“I think I know,” said Oliver.

The girls looked sideways at the young playboy. 

“What do you know?” Iris asked quietly.

“Does it have to do with someone whose name starts with... B?” He asked.

“No,” Iris lied.

“Hmm,” Oliver hummed, clearly not convinced. “You sure?”

“If you’re talking about Barry, there’s nothing to be sad about,” Iris insisted. 

Oliver kept looking at her steadily as if to say,  _ Right, because it’s not like I found you two in the throes of passion on the Fourth of July _ . 

Iris felt her cheeks warm under his gaze. 

“Have you tried talking to him?” Oliver asked, instead of outing her.

“We talk all the time,” Iris answered. 

Felicity and Oliver exchanged a look. 

“I meant... about how you feel about each other?” Oliver pressed. 

Iris shoved the melting milkshake back and forth at the bottom of the glass. “We’re friends. He said he wanted to be friends, so that’s what we’re being.”

Oliver’s jaw tensed for a moment, but he didn’t push. “Well. I think I know what will cheer us up.”

“Oh yeah?” Felicity asked with a grin, putting her face in her hands as she leaned across the counter towards her boyfriend. “What’s that?”

“A party,” Oliver smirked. 

Linda rolled her eyes and laughed. “Is that your answer to everything Oliver?”

“Not just any party,” Ollie continued. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean, a classy affair. My mom’s having this dinner party on Saturday…a fundraiser for the mayor’s upcoming reelection campaign. It’ll be a real who’s who of Summerville, and I’m allowed to invite some friends. What do you say?”

“That sounds great, doesn’t it?” Felicity insisted, grasping her friends’ arms and shaking them excitedly. “We’ll get all dressed up and have  _ so  _ much fun.”

“That  _ does  _ sound fun,” Linda piped in. “Unfortunately, my aunt is visiting this weekend, so I’m pretty much under house arrest.”

“Oh,” Felicity sighed. “That’s a bummer.”

“Yeah, but you and Iris should still go,” Linda said encouragingly. “We can’t let our baby girl keep moping around like this.” She threw her arms around Iris and squeezed.

“Guys, I’m fine,” Iris insisted. “Really. I’m not moping.”

“Great, then there’s no reason you won’t enjoy the party,” Oliver said decidedly. “I’ll pick you and Felicity up at 6:30.”

“It’s okay,” Iris replied. “I’ll drive.”

The night of the dinner party, Iris stood in front of the mirror in her room. Felicity had advised that it would be a formal affair, so Iris got out her prom dress and spent most of the day staring at it, preparing herself psychologically. This was necessary because the dress was associated with the most disappointing evening of her young adult life.

When she finally put it on, it changed her mood entirely. She stared at her reflection for a moment. In front of her stood a glamorous lady in red. She wasn’t sure where that woman came from, but she felt ready to slay. 

She borrowed the keys to her parents’ car and drove over to the Queens’ estate. On her way, she passed the gated drive to the Allens’ cottage. Her eyes couldn’t help but linger for a moment. Briefly, the memory of an intimate candlelit night invaded her mind. 

She pulled up to the main lodge. There were already a number of cars in the driveway. She parked alongside them and headed for the front door.

Just as she was about to knock, the door swung wide open. Thea stood on the other side in a short sequinned designer dress. Her makeup looked professionally applied. “Hey Iris,” she greeted. 

“Hi, Thea.”

“You look amazing,” the young teenager replied, pulling her inside. 

“Thanks, so do you.”

“This old thing?” Thea laughed, tugging at the hem of her dress. “I found it in the back of my closet.”

“Mine too,” Iris laughed back.

“Everyone’s through there,” Thea told her, waving across the foyer. “I’m stuck on door duty for now.”

“Thanks, Thea.” 

Iris tentatively crossed the foyer and looked through the archway that led into the great room. 

Iris stood in a daze, feeling like she’d somehow stumbled onto a movie set. It occurred to her that she’d never been in this part of the main lodge before. It was grand in the classic Adirondack style: humble cabin meets Swiss chalet, meets luxurious chateau.

Everywhere Iris looked, important-looking people dressed to the nines sauntered this way and that. There were men in fine tailored suits and women in cocktail dresses. Everything seemed to glow under the soft light of the antler-laden chandeliers hanging ostentatiously from the twenty-foot ceilings. 

She was snapped out of her trance by the sound of her name in the distance. She looked to find the source of the sound. A bar was set up to the left of a great stone mantle. Behind it, two hired bartenders were diligently serving guests. In front of it, sat Felicity and Oliver. Felicity was waving to her. 

Iris made her way across the room, threading a path through the party-goers.

“Hello gorgeous,” Felicity greeted her, taking her hands and kissing her cheek.

“Hey, Felicity,” Iris replied.

“You look lovely, Iris,” Oliver replied.

“Thank you,” she blushed, looking back at the rest of the guests. “Is it just me, or is everyone here a couple?” She was starting to feel like the odd woman out.

“Lots of boring old married people, I guess,” Oliver replied, taking a sip of his drink.

“Hey,” Felicity scolded, slapping Oliver’s chest. “What’s so bad about being married?”

“It’s just so…” Oliver began.

“Uh-huh,” Felicity replied, unimpressed. “Iris, if you need a date, there’s about to be a spare one over here.”

Iris laughed as she quietly asked the bartender for a club soda. “That’s okay, Felicity, you can keep him.”

“See,” Felicity teased Oliver, poking him in the ribs. “Girls aren’t interested in guys who are afraid of commitment.”

“I’m not afraid of commitment,” Oliver rebuked.

The sound of banter slowly faded into the background as Iris sipped her soda and looked across the room. Near the arch where she’d entered, she spotted the unmistakable sandy blonde hair and tall, thick frame of Henry Allen.

She coughed, choking on her drink.

“You okay?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Iris replied as she finished clearing her throat. “Just went down the wrong tube.”

On Henry’s arm was Nora, dressed beautifully in a short navy cocktail dress. Her hair was pinned back elegantly. 

Sure enough, behind the Allens trailed their son, dressed in a sharkskin grey suit and burgundy tie. 

Suddenly, Iris couldn’t breathe. This time it had nothing to do with the fact that she’d inhaled her soda just a moment ago.

Spotting the group, Barry parted from his parents and made his way to the bar.

“Hey Barry,” Oliver said casually. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“What do you mean?” Barry replied with a chuckle. “Your mom always invites us to these things.”

Iris stared at Oliver. 

“Does she?” Oliver feigned innocence. “Huh.”

Ignoring him, Barry’s eyes trailed over to Iris. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she replied.

“I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Oliver asked if I wanted to come,” she replied.

“She’s his date,” Felicity suggested jokingly.

Barry’s brows knit quizzically and surveyed the three of them.

“She’s just kidding,” Iris laughed nervously with a wave of her hand.

“Oh,” Barry laughed back, equally as nervous. “Right. Of course. That wouldn’t make any sense — cause Felicity — and, well… unless the three of you…”

Oliver watched Barry piece through Felicity’s joke with a look of calm amusement on his face.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Ollie said after a moment. “I think I hear my mother calling.”

He put his hand around the small of Felicity’s back and led her across the room, leaving Barry and Iris alone.

Iris sipped carefully from her glass, making sure to swallow properly this time. 

Barry eyed her sideways as he turned and leaned forward across the bar, waiting to be served. 

“Felicity wasn’t serious,” Iris repeated, feeling like he was judging her.

“I know,” he mumbled. “You said that.”

“Strange how your first thought was that we were having a ménage,” Iris teased, knowing full well he hadn’t been serious.

“It was my second thought, actually,” he grinned impishly. “Though... it wouldn’t be the first time for Oliver.”

Iris’ eyes widened. “Really?”

Barry shrugged. “If you take him at his word.”

She blinked down into her glass, aware that Barry was still staring at her.

“What?” She asked.

“Hmm?”

“You keep looking at me.” 

“You just… look nice… is all.” The tips of his ears turned pink.

Iris’ cheeks warmed. “Oh. Thanks. You look nice, too.”

“Thank you.”

“So... what was your first thought?” Iris asked. “When Felicity said I was Oliver’s date.”

“Oh,” Barry replied, his face turning sullen momentarily before he smiled facetiously. “I was wondering whether a right hook or uppercut is a better punch.”

“Is this a bad time?” The bartender asked cautiously, having finally had a moment to turn to Barry.

“It’s fine,” Barry replied. “Just a coke, please.”

The bartender nodded and grabbed a cup from the shelf. Iris watched carefully as he filled the glass and slid it across the bar to Barry. 

Was Barry serious about the punching? Had Felicity’s joke made him jealous? She couldn’t be sure.

She watched him sip his drink before looking around the room to see where their friends had gone. Strangely, Felicity and Oliver were nowhere to be found. Instead, Iris found herself accidentally making eye contact with Barry’s parents from across the room. Henry’s face was unreadable. Nora looked like she might cry from happiness. It was all a little overwhelming. 

Barry didn’t seem to notice. He pulled out a stool from under the bar and took a seat beside her, following her gaze then looking away when he met his parents’ eyes. 

“Should you be over here?” Iris asked quietly.

“What do you mean?” He gave her a puzzled look.

Iris tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. Your dad doesn’t look too happy.”

“I don’t care what he thinks,” Barry muttered bitterly.

“Maybe not, but you did come here with your family. They might want you to spend time with them.”

“Oliver and I always skip out of these things at some point,” he deflected. “They won’t be surprised.”

“Yeah, but you’re not skipping out you’re talking to  _ me _ .”

“Can’t I talk to my friend?” Barry asked urgently, fixing her with a stare.

Iris held his gaze, thinking it over. “I guess it’s hard to know sometimes,” she replied.

“What is?”

“How to be friends,” she said softly, looking down at her feet and shuffling them. 

Barry took another sip of his drink. “Would you rather we weren’t?” 

Iris’ stomach twisted. “No, of course not.”

“Okay, well. How about when we’re not sure about something we ask each other?” Barry suggested, smiling down at her reassuringly.

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Good,” Barry replied. “So, do friends sit and talk with each other at parties?”

Iris couldn’t help but roll her eyes through a grin. “Yeah, I guess they do.”

“See,” he smiled. “Everything’s fine.”

She shifted her weight again. “Okay, well since we’re on the subject… can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do friends share a bed most nights?”

Barry coughed on the mouthful of soda he’d just downed. He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the ringing clang of a gong going off somewhere, like it was frickin' Downton Abbey.

“Seriously?” Iris mouthed to no one in particular.

“Guess it’s time for dinner,” Barry said, watching the crowd filter into the dining room.

Iris followed Barry and everyone else into the next room. Inside was the longest table Iris had ever seen. It was decorated with summer flowers and tall candles. Each place was perfectly set with ornate flatware. She hoped for a moment that she might be able to snag a seat next to Barry until she realized that the places were marked with name cards. 

Luckily, she found her name next to Felicity’s. 

Barry, on the other hand, was seated with his family on the opposite side of the table, too far down for a conversation to be a possibility. 

“Where did you two get to?” Iris asked Felicity as they sat, noticing her friend’s hair was askew.

“What do you mean?” Felicity asked breathlessly, taking her napkin from the table and spreading it across her lap. 

There was an obvious blush in Felicity’s cheeks. 

Iris decided not to pursue it. 

Across the table, her eyes met Barry’s. 

He made a face like,  _ What’s up with those two? _

Iris rolled her eyes as if to say,  _ Think they were making out _ .

He raised his eyebrows and nodded in acknowledgment.  _ Of course they were _ , he seemed to reply.

Dinner was amazing. 

Iris lost track counting the number of courses after seven. Each plate was tiny but delicious. For the adults, everything seemed to be paired with a wine, meaning that everyone’s cheeks grew increasingly rosy. Dessert was served with champagne, including small glasses for the underage. Iris savored the sweet but tart taste against her tongue, complemented by the fanciest, most delicious brownie she’d ever eaten in her life.

After the meal, Moira Queen thanked everyone for coming and encouraged the guests to support the reelection of Mayor Lance. He accepted graciously, making a brief platform pitch to the captive voters around the dining table.

Iris watched with curiosity. She found she had a million questions about the Mayor’s platform. Perhaps she could corner him during the after-dinner cocktails. 

But no sooner had the guests been asked to retire back to the great room, did Oliver declare, “I’m bored. You two want to get out of here?” He grabbed his champagne flute and pushed back from the table.

“Okay,” Felicity agreed, taking her glass as well. “Iris? You coming?”

“Oh,” she said softly watching the crowd filtered out of the dining room. “Okay. Where are we going?”

“Hey, Barry!” Oliver called across the table to his friend. “You want to shoot some pool?”

“Sure,” Barry shrugged, slinking away from his parents and joining the others.

They followed Oliver out of the dining room, where he casually grabbed a mostly full champagne bottle from a passing server. With a wave, he led the group down to the lower level. 

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Iris found she recognized the lounge and wet bar to the left. It was the same one she’d stumbled across last summer when she’d followed Barry in through the patio door. 

To the right, was another room she hadn’t noticed the first time.

Oliver flicked on the light, revealing a pool table and a dartboard. There were stools scattered haphazardly around the floor.

“What do you say?” Oliver asked, walking over to a rack on the wall and grabbing a cue. “Girls against boys?”

“You’re on,” Felicity challenged him competitively, laughing as she grabbed her own cue. “I hope you have a mop, Oliver because we’re about to wipe the floor with you.”

Iris giggled as grabbed her own cue, secretly a little nervous. She wasn’t very practiced at pool. 

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Barry rebuked, nudging Iris with an elbow as he playfully hurried to grab his own cue.

As it turned out, Iris worried for nothing. Felicity was an ace. On the first shot, she broke the rack wide open and sank a stripe immediately.

“Math is good for more than just grades,” she insisted with a smile as she followed it up by sinking two balls at once.

“You know, you’re not the only one who’s good at that stuff,” Barry drawled in reply.

“Oh yeah?” Felicity replied, missing her next shot. “Fine. Prove it, mister.”

“Okay.” Barry slid off the stool he’d been sitting on and proceeded to sink a solid, but missed his next turn.

“C’mon Iris!” Felicity cheered on her friend as she approached the table. “Don’t let me down.”

“Here goes,” Iris said quietly to herself as she leaned forward and took aim at the eleven ball. She tapped the pool cue lightly, nudging the stripe into a pocket. Surprised at her own luck, she laughed. “I did it!”

“That’s my girl,” Felicity smiled. “Go again!”

“Oh, right,” Iris said thoughtfully, looking back at the table. There weren’t any good shots left. She scratched on purpose to avoid hitting the eightball. 

“All right,” Oliver murmured, placing his champagne flute on a ledge before taking aim. It was a difficult shot, but he sunk it with ease. Proudly, he circled the table like a predator stalking his prey. He proceeded to sink two more balls before scratching the cue ball. 

“I guess growing up with easy access to a pool table helps, too,” Felicity conceded.

Oliver smirked flirtatiously at his girlfriend, then took a seat. 

They continued to take turns until the sound of Thea’s voice interrupted them. “Ollie!” She called down the stairs. “Mom wants to introduce you and Felicity to the mayor.”

“Coming,” Oliver answered as he watched Felicity sink the last of the stripes.

He set his pool cue down, then stretched out a hand for his girlfriend to take. “We’ll be right back,” he promised as they disappeared up the steps. 

Iris listened to their feet on the steps, aware of the pregnant silence that replaced their friends’ boundless energy.

“Guess it’s just me and you then,” Barry said, sipping the last of the champagne from his glass.

“Guess so,” Iris agreed. 

“You can take Felicity’s turn,” he said, gesturing towards the table.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” She stared at the eight ball. Felicity had set them up well. All Iris had to do was sink this and they could call themselves the winners. The only problem was, the angle was all wrong. She didn’t have the math skills Felicity had. She tried her best to measure it out, to gauge how much force she needed to bounce the cue ball off the side so it would ricochet back just perfectly. It didn’t help that Barry was watching her intently. 

Finally, she decided it was no use.

“This is impossible,” she declared before even trying.

“No it’s not,” he said kindly. 

“Yes, it is,” she argued.

He shook his head with a smile and slipped off the perch of his stool. “Here,” he said, coming around to her side. “May I?” He asked as he approached.

“All right,” she said shyly.

From behind her, he covered her left hand and placed it on the green. “You need about a thirty-six-degree angle, and strong pressure off the side,” he said softly in her ear as he leaned forward into her, positioning her right hand and the pool cue the way he saw fit. 

Her heart beat faster as he leaned steadily into her. 

Was Barry actually putting the moves on her right now? She was so confused. She thought he wanted to be friends. But she wasn’t stupid. This was one of the oldest tricks in the book.

And yet, even knowing that… the way his body was framing her back, the position they were in -- there was no way she could focus on the instructions he was whispering in her ear. 

_ Forget the game _ , she wanted to tell him. 

But then she shook herself out of it, relaxed and let him guide her. 

With a swift movement, Barry initiated a strike hitting the cue ball. It bounced perfectly back to the eight ball and sunk it with a satisfying thunk. 

Iris gave a celebratory laugh, somewhere between a whoop and a giggle. She dropped the pool cue on the table, spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We won!” She declared, pecking his cheek absentmindedly.

He smiled down at her. “I guess you did.”

“Girls rule, boys drool,” she teased in a singsong voice as she continued to hang off of him. 

“Something like that,” he conceded, still grinning at her.

Somehow, he started nuzzling her nose. The contact reminded Iris how she’d felt just moments earlier, reminded her how her body was pinned between Barry’s and the table, how it would be so easy to sit back and ask him to love her right then and there.

It didn't help that his breath was hot against her face as he touched her nose featherlight with his.

She tilted her head. 

He placed both palms on either side of her, pressing his hands into the wood of the table as he brought their faces closer together. 

Iris’ heart was beating in her ears.

“I should ask you…” he started quietly, cautiously

“Yeah?” Iris breathed.

“Do friends... kiss?” He whispered against her lips.

Iris swallowed. “Friends don’t, no.”

His nose brushed left and then right against hers. “Never?”

She shook her head, searching his eyes as they bore into her.

“K,” he breathed, remembering himself.

Their chests heaved, panting while he rested his forehead against hers. Unable to cure the tension by kissing, Barry opted to thread his arms around her. He hugged her tightly and rested his chin on her shoulder. 

Iris leaned into the soft, warm skin of his neck and closed her eyes.

_ You better figure out what you want, _ her father’s voice echoed in her head. __

“Barry,” she whispered into his collarbone. “I don’t want to be friends.”

He let go of her. 

Iris opened her eyes.

He looked pained. Wounded, even. 

“I want to be more,” she said hurriedly, staring at her feet. “I know I said we could be… it’s just… I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. It’s like we’re together but we’re not and all I really want is to be with --”

She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence because suddenly his mouth was on hers, pressing against her urgently. As soon as she realized what was happening, she grabbed him by the tie and pulled him forward. 

Their tongues met messily, each of them eager to have the other.

Then, he broke from her momentarily, gasping for air.

“I don’t want to be friends, either,” he panted, “I never did, I just thought… you didn’t want me anymore.”

Iris made a slight choking noise. “I never stopped wanting you,” she told him as he hitched her up on the table. 

He laughed, tears welling in his eyes as he stepped between her legs and pulled her hips flush against his. He kissed her again, then trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone as he leaned her back against the table.

“Wait, wait -- Barry, not here,” she gasped, pushing him back.

He blinked at her, perplexed. 

“I need this to be real,” she said. “I don’t want it to be like last time.”

He nodded and stepped back, brushing the back of his neck with his hand. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, I just… can we get out of here?” She wanted to go home. It was the only place she could think of where they wouldn’t be interrupted, where she felt safe enough to be with him. 

“I’ll have to tell my parents we’re leaving,” he said, looking up the stairs with uncertainty.

“I know,” Iris replied. “I’m ready for that.”

“I won’t let him say anything,” Barry promised, stepping forward and cupping her cheeks in his palms. 

Iris nodded. She hoped that would be enough.

He took her hand, grasping it tightly as he led her back up the stairs and into the great room. They spotted his parents in the opposite corner. 

Barry physically shielded Iris as they approached, holding her hand tightly just behind his right side. Iris couldn’t help but notice that Henry and Nora didn’t look at ease with one another. It made her feel sad for both Barry and Nora.

When Nora spotted them, she dropped her husband’s hand and beamed a smile. “Iris!” She exclaimed happily. 

Iris did her best to smile despite her knees practically knocking together with nerves. 

Nora brought her into a big bear hug, just like the one she’d given her at the grocery store. It helped to remind Iris that she was welcomed by the majority of the Allen family.

“Mom, Iris and I are going to head out,” Barry told her, not fully acknowledging his father who was watching the conversation quietly. If Iris didn’t know any better, she might have thought he looked sheepish. 

Nora smiled. “All right, sweetheart.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, glancing sideways at his father.

Iris was surprised by this last declaration. She squeezed Barry’s hand nervously. 

“Ok, see you tomorrow,” Nora agreed knowingly, her eyes welling with imperceptible emotions.

Barry caught his father’s eye.

Henry nodded resolutely.

“K,” Barry said quietly as he turned to Iris. “Let’s go.” He placed a supportive hand at the small of her back, ready to head out.

“Iris?” Henry asked before they could walk two steps.

They paused and turned back.

Henry cleared his throat. “Maybe we could have you over for dinner sometime?”

Iris looked to Nora whose eyes were brimming with hopeful tears. 

Iris recognized it as a peace offering, even if it was strained. She gave a brief nod before turning away again. 

They walked silently to the car she’d borrowed from her parents, her hand looped under Barry’s elbow, his free hand placed on top of hers.

“You don’t have to accept that invitation if you don’t want to,” Barry reassured her as the arrived at the driver’s door. “We can take things one step at a time.” 

“I’ll need to,” she told him.

“We can even avoid him,” he suggested, opening the door for her. 

“We’ll see,” she replied as she got in. 

Barry hurried around to the passenger door and hopped inside.

“I don’t want to drive a wedge between you and your dad,” Iris told him as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Iris,” he started. “You being in my life has nothing to do with my relationship with my dad. If things are rough between us… it’s because they were rough to begin with. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“I’m positive,” Barry replied, taking her hands in his and kissing both of her knuckles.

As she drove them to her house, their fingers intertwined across the center console.

“Did your mom ever tell you I ran into her in back in June?” She asked, glancing sideways at him. 

She could feel his eyes on the side of his face. “No,” he replied. “She didn’t.”

Iris hummed thoughtfully and nodded. 

“What did she say?” Barry asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Nothing much,” Iris fibbed, glossing over the truth. “But I got the sense that she missed me.”

“Well, that’s a given,” he replied with a grin. “You’re easy to miss.”

When they made their way through the front door of Iris’ house, her parents were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, both reading quietly while one of her dad’s records played softly in the background. They looked up at the two young adults as they came through the entrance. 

“How did it go?” Francine asked.

“It was fun,” Iris replied, hanging her purse on a hook by the door.

“Hello Barry,” Joe addressed the young man.

“Hello, sir,” he replied politely, shuffling back and forth nervously in his dress shoes. 

“We’re just…” Iris began. “Gonna hang out for a bit.” She gestured up the stairs, praying to God that her parents wouldn’t stop them.

“All right,” Francine replied melodically. “Don’t stay up too late.”

Iris could hardly believe her ears but took the freedom where she could. She grabbed Barry’s hand and led him swiftly up to her bedroom. Once inside, he stood patiently in the center of the room, watching her curiously as she rummaged for something in her dresser drawer. 

“What are you looking for?” He asked.

“I know I left it in here somewhere,” she said to herself as she shoved socks and underwear to and fro. “Aha!” She exclaimed in victory as she pulled an old fashioned brass key from the bottom. Proudly, she held up her treasure for him to see.

“My parents have a ‘no locked doors’ policy,” she explained. “But seeing as they’ve been so lenient lately…” she sauntered over to the door, slotted the key in the lock and turned it until it clicked softly.

She turned back to him with a smile, before setting the key on top of her dresser.

“You know, we don’t have to rush,” he said, taking her hand and leading her over to the bed.

“I know,” Iris replied, swinging her legs up beside her. “I’ve just been waiting for this for a long time. I didn’t want us to have any interruptions.”

Barry’s mouth flitted up at the side into a half-smile. “I know. Me too.”

“Do you not want to...?” Iris asked.

“Of course I do,” he replied before taking a deep breath. “I just– can we talk first?”

Iris nodded. 

He sighed and looked around her room, then back at her hands. “I don’t want to lose you again,” he said finally.

“I don’t want to lose you, either,” Iris told him. 

Barry nodded, rubbing his thumb absentmindedly over her knuckles. "The way we’ve been recently… falling asleep together… waking up in the morning... Iris, I want that so bad it makes my stomach hurt.”

Iris laughed a little through the tears welling in her eyes. “Me too.” 

He nodded. “I want to be with you, no matter what my dad says. I want to go to college together and be with you there.”

She reached forward and held his face in her hands. “You’re sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he said, placing a hand on her arm. “Listen, I know it might sound crazy, but in college, we’ll be on our own most of the time. We’ll get to be our own people, away from the decisions and prescriptions of our families. And I guess… I was kind of hoping we could be our own people… together?”

Never had a proposition sounded so good to Iris. She knew it would still be a challenge whenever they had to see Barry’s father. But if they could just be together, away from all of that, then maybe she could bear it.

“That sounds really nice,” she admitted, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone.

“Does that mean… will you be my girlfriend again?” Barry asked as their faces drew near. 

“Yes,” Iris managed to mouth just before their lips met softly. 

His mouth was warm and sweet against hers. She savored it slowly. She’d missed kissing him. She told him as much, hanging her hands around the back of his neck and whispering, “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” he replied, nuzzling her nose with his. “I still love you, Iris. I never stopped.”

Her heart flitted in her chest at the sound of Barry’s words. “You do?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you, too.” She gave him another slow kiss. “I thought you knew… after the Fourth of July.”

Barry blushed. “I wondered, but then things got so awkward… I thought maybe you’d wished it’d never happened.” 

“I wanted to be with you,” Iris explained. “I just wanted everything to be all right between us.”

Barry nodded. “Is it possible… to separate what happened with my dad from what happens with us?”

Iris thought about it. “I needed time. But... I know that wasn’t you. I know that’s not the way you think. You just have to understand, Barry. It happens more often than you know. And it’s hard.”

He nodded. “I want to be there for you when it’s hard.”

Iris smiled and pecked him on the cheek. “You’re a good soul, Barry Allen.”

She tried to shift closer to him, but the skirt of her dress was restricting the movement of her legs. Not to mention that her earrings were starting to itch. It was fun to dress up, but now that she thought about it, it would be more fun to get undressed.

She placed her feet on the floor and went to her vanity. In the mirror, she unclasped her earrings and put them in her jewelry box. 

Barry watched her with vague fascination as she unpinned her half-updo. “You looked beautiful tonight,” he said softly.

She smiled. “This was my prom dress, you know.” She swished the skirt back and forth for effect.

He stood behind her, trailing his fingers down her arm. “I’m glad I got to see you in it,” he told her, kissing her neck. 

“Hmm,” she hummed pleasantly. “You still owe me a tux.”

“Do I?”

“Yeah,” she breathed, turning around in his arms to kiss him. “But a birthday suit might do for now.”

“ _ Iris _ ,” he hissed in mock scandalization. But even as he pretended to be offended, his hands found the zipper on the back of her dress. She shrugged her shoulders from the straps, causing the garment to pool softly on the floor. 

A low sound escaped his throat as he pulled her towards him and kissed her with adoration.

Everything that followed after was sweet and tender, every touch careful and precious. Trained with the patience of having waited so long to be together, they took their time. It was right, not rushed. They knew now that this was what they wanted, despite whatever forces might have worked to keep them apart. Each caress was filled with the promise of now, tomorrow, and every day after that. 

When finally the last pieces of clothing were deposited on the floor, they stood naked, grasping at one another, until Iris pressed gently on Barry’s chest, inching him back towards the bed. He pulled back the covers, and she slid in beside him, climbing on top of him while she reached to stroke his length. 

“We have to be quiet,” she whispered, taking a moment to reach into her bedside drawer for a condom. 

He nodded, wide eyed and hopeful, mouth parted and ready to savor every kiss she planted on him. 

His hands tenderly held the flesh of her thighs while she rolled the condom down onto him. Sweetly, he held the small of her back, pulling her forward as she moved to sink down over him, their lips parting in gentle gasps against one anothers’ while they revelled in the sensation of him filling her completely. 

“I love you,” Barry whispered. 

“I love you,” Iris replied. 


End file.
